Adam M. Levine on Why the Toledo Museum of Art Is Guaranteeing Works at Auction

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green sits down with Adam M. Levine, Director and CEO of the Toledo Museum of Art, to discuss one of the most innovative strategies a U.S. museum has taken in recent years: selectively guaranteeing artworks at auction. Levine explains how the idea emerged, how his background in both curatorial practice and the art market shaped the approach, and what it took to bring colleagues, patrons, and the board along. He breaks down how auction guarantees work, how the strategy has played out in practice, what Toledo has learned from the works it has guaranteed and acquired, and how meaningful the additional revenue has been at a time when museums are facing serious funding pressures. The conversation also explores whether this model could realistically be adopted by other museums.