San Francisco Chronicle's Charles Desmarais reports on the Fisher Collection of contemporary art on display at the expanded SFMOMA, and the scant details provided on the deal between the museum and the Fisher family.

As Donald Fisher’s health failed, a new deal was struck with SFMOMA, resulting in the extraordinary new building opened by the museum this year. At its core: the Doris and Donald Fisher Collection Galleries.

So, just what was the new arrangement reached in 2009, shortly before Donald Fisher’s death? Does it serve the museum’s mission, and the director’s determination to preserve its integrity? And more to the point of our interests as museumgoers, how does it shape our understanding of art and art history since 1960?

The short answer is, we don’t know.

Desmarais did discover that Doris Fisher is the sole owner of most of the artwork on 100-year loan. He also writes that "a grouping of Fisher collection works must hang together in the galleries once every 10 years."