While there have been disputes over the ownership of works of art for centuries, the topic of restitution (or return) of stolen artifacts has taken on particular urgency in the art world over the past two decades. Museums and collectors today must be knowledgeable about art plundered during times of war, antiquities illicitly excavated and smuggled from their countries of origin, and objects forcibly taken during periods of colonial occupation. How do we navigate these issues, and what is important to know in order to collect?

Two of the country’s leading authorities in the fields of art restitution and cultural property: Victoria Reed, Sadler Senior Curator for Provenance; and attorney Ricardo A. St. Hilaire, a former prosecutor and trial attorney—whose expertise in cultural property law is well-known through his award-winning blog Cultural Heritage Lawyer—give all Curators Circles members a unique opportunity to learn more about a timely and increasingly important subject.