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Creating transparency around cultural collections.
who we are
The Foundation for Ethical Stewardship of Cultural Heritage (FESCH) was established in response to an increasingly urgent need: to document the histories of unprovenanced antiquities. Despite longstanding efforts to curb the illicit market for ancient art and artifacts, thousands of undocumented objects now reside in public, private, and academic collections in the United States and around the world.
FESCH works with experts in provenance research to make undocumented antiquities known, and to train the next generation of researchers.
our work
The inaugural project of FESCH is the Mediterranean Antiquities Provenance Research Alliance (MAPRA). MAPRA brings together subject matter experts, including academics, museum professionals, and data scientists, to establish standards and create a protocol for provenance research on objects from the ancient Mediterranean. FESCH is generously funded by a Tier II Research and Development grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Preservation and Access.
The goals of MAPRA are:
To consolidate existing resources for provenance research on objects from the ancient Mediterranean;
To create a teaching module to train students in provenance research using objects in academic collections;
To build a shared, open-access, database of objects held by American colleges and universities, in order to make unprovenanced objects known to their countries of origin.
Ultimately, MAPRA hopes to facilitate restitutions, where warranted, but also to promote bilateral agreements to allow objects to remain legally and ethically in academic collections for study and research.
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Assess collections according to current legal and ethical standards and recommend a course of action
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Perform provenance research and/or provide training for existing personnel or students
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Document and publish relevant findings as appropriate
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Provide resources and support for professional provenance researchers
what we do
Honoring heritage. Preserving the past.
Our financials
We are passionate about transparency and good stewardship. Click the link below to review our reporting on Guidestar.
Who we are:
Mireille M. Lee, PhD
Founder and Executive Director
Dr. Lee is a Classical Archaeologist by training, with over two decades of experience in higher education. Increasingly concerned about the legal and ethical status of objects in academic, public, and private collections, she established the Foundation for Ethical Stewardship of Cultural Heritage in 2022. Dr. Lee is a Consulting Scholar for the University of Pennsylvania Cultural Heritage Center, and has served on the Committee for Cultural Heritage for the Archaeological Institute of America.
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President
Dr. Daniels is an expert in cultural issues globally, especially heritage at risk. He currently serves as Vice President of the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield as well as Vice President of the Archaeological Institute of America.
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Secretary
Maura-Lee Albert is a tireless advocate in the nonprofit realm. She serves on the boards of Stand-Up Nashville, Nashville Organized for Action and Hope, and the SEIU 205.
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Treasurer
Hollie Rapello is co-founder of Raven Public Relations in Nashville, Tennessee. Her work has been recognized nationally and globally, including at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.