Creating an Account

Museum Exchange supports two account types: Donors and Institutions.

This article explains how to create an account, the account approval process, and what to expect after sign-up.

Account Types

Donor Accounts

Donor accounts are for collectors and their representatives offering objects for donation. Donors are the party, or parties, that own the objects listed for donation. They may be individuals, couples, estates, artists, galleries, corporations, or foundations. Representatives are individuals acting on behalf of the donor. Common representative roles include assistants, art advisors, collection managers, wealth managers, and estate trustees or executors.

Donor (including representative) accounts cannot be linked directly, but can share access to objects within their accounts.

To create a donor account:

Go to https://app.museumexchange.com/signup
Select the account type Donor
Enter the required account information including your name and email address
Create your password and submit
Confirm your email address by clicking on the verification email sent to the email address entered during sign-up

Once your account is created, complete your application by providing the following details:

Select if you are listing objects from your collection (My Collection) or on behalf of the donor(s) (Other Collections)
Enter your primary locationAgree to Museum Exchange’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

All donor accounts are automatically approved. You will receive an email confirmation and will be able to access the platform.

Institution accounts

Institution accounts are for employees of museums, hospitals, universities, and other collecting institutions interested in receiving objects as donations.

Institutions can have multiple accounts. All accounts for the same institution are automatically linked and share access to proposals and donations.

To create an institution account:

Go to https://app.museumexchange.com/signup
Select the account type Institution
Enter the required account information including your name and email address
Create your password and submit
Confirm your email address by clicking on the verification email sent to the email address entered during sign-up.

Once your account is created, complete your application by providing the following details:

Select which institution you will be representing (Note: contact us if your institution is not listed in the dropdown)
Select your role at your institution

All institution accounts are reviewed by the Museum Exchange team before being approved. The review is typically completed within 1-2 business days. Upon being approved, you will receive an email confirmation and will be able to access the platform.

Two-Factor Authentication

Museum Exchange uses two-factor authentication (2FA) to help protect accounts against logins by unauthorized users.

When you first log in, you will be asked to provide a cell phone number to be associated with your account. Upon future log ins, you will receive a code via text message to verify your identity and will be prompted to enter this code. This adds an extra layer of security and helps ensure that only authorized users can access the account.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

Can I use the platform immediately after creating an account?

Donor accounts are automatically approved and users can immediately access the platform. Institution accounts must be approved by Museum Exchange before users can access the platform.

I created an account but I cannot log in

Make sure that:

You are using the same email address that you entered during sign-up
Your password is correct (Note: passwords are case-sensitive)
You are using the same cell phone as the phone number you provided during the two-factor authentication registration step
If you are an institution user, your account may still be pending approval

I signed up with the wrong account type

Contact us if you selected the wrong account type (i.e. Donor or Institution). Do not create a second account. This helps avoid duplicate records and future access issues.