Loans

The Latvian National Museum of Art is the largest repository of professional art in Latvia, housing a collection of over 100 000 works of art and objects of cultural significance. Committed to facilitating public accessibility of the collection and promoting collection mobility, the LNMA makes its objects available for exhibitions at museums and cultural, educational, and research institutions both within Latvia and internationally.

All loans are administered centrally by the LNMA, encompassing the collections of all LNMA departments.

Loan Request Deadlines

To ensure the professional preparation and conservation of museum objects for display, loan applications should be submitted as early as possible, but no later than:

For loans within Latvia: 3 months prior to the exhibition opening.
For international loans: at least 9 months prior to the exhibition opening.

Applications submitted after these deadlines will be evaluated. However, late submission may constitute grounds for refusal.

The standard processing time for a loan request is up to 2 months.

Submission Requirements

A formal loan request must include the following information:

Borrower Details: name, surname, position, email address, telephone number, and the name and properties of the representing institution.
Exhibition title, venue, exhibition dates, and a conceptual description of the project.
A detailed list of requested items from the LNMA collection, including the artist’s name, title of the work, LNMA collection number, and the unified inventory number.
Facility Report.

Standard LNMA policy limits loans to 10 objects per single request. If you are interested in requesting a loan of more than 10 objects, we invite you to contact us prior to submitting your formal application at: .

Please send loan requests to: , in the e-mail subject line indicating “Loan Request – [Exhibition Title, Venue]”.

Requests can also be submitted by post:
Latvian National Museum of Art
Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1
Riga, LV-1010, Latvia

Evaluation of Requests

Loan requests are reviewed by the LNMA Collection Committee, based on evaluations provided by the collection curators and conservators. The final decision regarding the loan is made by the Director of the LNMA.

Requests are evaluated based on the following criteria:

The relevance of the object to the exhibition concept.
The condition and physical stability of the object, including any transport restrictions.
The availability of the object during the requested period.
The suitability of the venue’s facilities in meeting LNMA security and environmental requirements.

The Museum reserves the right to refuse a loan if:

The object has not completed the accessioning or scientific cataloging process.
The object is in poor condition or is too fragile for transport.
The object is currently undergoing conservation or restoration.
The object is already reserved for another loan or exhibition.
The artwork is currently on display or scheduled for display in the LNMA permanent display or temporary exhibitions.
The venue cannot guarantee the necessary climate, security, or lighting standards.
The intended use of the object contradicts the scientific, cultural, or education objectives specified in Paragraph 81 of the Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 956 “Regulations on the National Museum Collection” (November 21, 2006).
The acquisition documentation for the object specifies special use restrictions.

Costs and Expenses

All costs associated with the loan shall be borne by the Borrower. LNMA is entitled to require insurance for the loaned objects as per the procedure specified in Paragraph 90 of the Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 956 “Regulations on the National Museum Collection” (November 21, 2006).

Potential loan expenses include:

Insurance.
Transportation, fabrication or adaptation of specialized shipping crates, and all associated courier costs.
Costs arising from preparation of objects for display (such as conservation or restoration, framing, high-resolution photography/documentation, etc.), in accordance with the LNMA public price list for services.
Preparation of Condition Report, in accordance with the LNMA public price list for services.

LNMA will inform the Borrower in a timely manner of the anticipated costs.

Terms and Conditions

LNMA specifies and oversees the packing requirements for all artworks.
The Borrower shall select a fine art transportation company in consultation with LNMA.
For the transport of objects within Latvia, notification must be given at least 5 business days in advance, in compliance with the transportation schedule outlined in the Loan Agreement.
Loans are formalized exclusively through the LNMA Loan Agreement, which stipulates all specific terms and conditions.
For international loans, LNMA may require proof of immunity from seizure or equivalent legal protection in the borrowing jurisdiction.
LNMA reserves the right to appoint a museum courier to supervise the packing, transportation, unpacking, and installation/de-installation of the loaned objects. All expenses associated with the courier’s travel (including travel expenses, accommodation, and per diems) shall be borne by the Borrower.

Museum Collection Database

Prior to submitting a formal loan request, we invite you to explore the LNMA collection via the Joint Catalogue of the National Museum Collection.

Recent contemporary art acquisitions in the LNMA collection can be viewed on the online platform ART COLLECTION 2020.

Please note that due to copyright restrictions, images for all collection items may not be available online.