MARK DURNEY
From 2008-2011, I helped develop and manage the Association for Research into Crimes against Art (ARCA). My work with ARCA included performing the marketing and admissions for its annual academic program; lecturing on the topic of museum security and risk management; organizing ARCA's Official Blog; publishing the inaugural issues of the Journal of Art Crime; and producing ARCAPodcasts available at iTunes. In the past, I have worked for Capgemini Consulting, Provident Bank, and more recently as a security guard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
At Trinity College (Hartford, CT), I earned a BA in History and wrote a thesis that deconstructed the Thomas Crown Affair art heist scenario by utilizing a number of case studies from the 20th century. From 2009-2010, I completed a MA in Cultural Heritage Studies at University College London's Institute of Archaeology. Upon the conclusion of my coursework for UCL, I engaged in a work placement in the Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council's Cultural Property Unit.
My research focuses on art crime, art theft, stolen art databases and statistics, cultural heritage during conflict and natural disaster, fakes and forgeries, and antiquities looting among much more. The posts on Art Theft Central are a reflection of my ongoing education related to the protection, preservation, and conservation of cultural heritage. Accordingly, some of the views expressed in earlier posts have evolved, and in some cases my opinions may have changed.
My dissertation for UCL titled, "An Examination of Art Theft, Analysis of Relevant Statistics, and Insights into the Protection of Cultural Heritage," sought to qualify and interpret art theft statistics provided by the London-based Art Loss Register (ALR) and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in order to quantify the problem of art theft and to assess the effectiveness of the most recent strategies that have been implemented to combat the illicit art trade. In November 2009, I delivered a paper titled "The Motivations Behind Art Crime and the Effects of an Institution's Response" as a member of a panel on art crime at the American Society of Criminology's Annual Meeting. I will be delivering another paper titled "Reevaluating Art Crime's Famous Figures" at the 2011 Meeting. Check out "My Research" page for more articles.
I am always happy to receive and review fiction/non-fiction books and academic articles related to art crime.
