Sandi Pleeter, a New York City–based interior designer, is the founder and lead designer of Haute Home Studio, a full-service interior design firm that guides clients through every stage of the creative process—from concept to completion. With more than two decades of experience spanning fashion, sales, product development, and design, Sandi Pleeter has collaborated with architects, contractors, and clients throughout the New York tri-state area. In addition to her professional work, she has volunteered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 2018, supporting its mission of education and cultural preservation. Through her ongoing engagement with the museum, Sandi Pleeter follows initiatives such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cultural Property Initiative, which reflects the institution’s global commitment to honoring the origins and rightful ownership of artistic works.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Cultural Property Initiative Honors Mission
At the beginning of 2025, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) announced it had initiated the return of artwork, which they believed someone stole from Greece, the country of its origin. The artistic piece was the Bronze Head of the Griffin, a legendary animal created in the 7th century BC. It has planned to repatriate other works as part of the MET Cultural Property Initiative to Greece, Spain, and Italy.
The MET Cultural Property Initiative created this program to respond to concerns related to handling cultural property, or works created in other countries. These works can include investigating ownership of the work, collaborating with sources of origin (countries), and developing the ability to provide cultural protections. The MET will also host trainings and workshops related to cultural property for military, conservation, and museum professionals. Finally, educating the public is another spoke of the initiative.
In the case of the griffin head, the MET voluntarily returned the piece, which disappeared from the Archeological Museum of Olympia. Representatives with the MET stated that the museum did not know how the piece ended up at their museum. In this instance, the MET developed a collaborative agreement, enabling them to obtain the Griffin on loan next year from the Greek government.
Moreover, the MET initiated a program to address concerns about increasing public and governmental scrutiny over collections with questionable or unknown origins. It addresses international discussions on decolonization, restitution, and the ethics of stewarding art, ensuring that evolving conversations align with the changing moral and legal landscape. Through the initiative, the MET will establish transparency in the acquisitions and provenance process, or the process by which the museum determines prior ownership.
Since the beginning of the initiative, the MET has organized the return of art to the Republics of Italy and Spain. In August 2025, the MET announced that it would return nine Tarentine reliefs and two Egyptian sculptures, possibly created in Egypt and transported to Italy during the Roman occupation of Egypt. A terracotta antefix, a fragment of a terracotta mix, and a fragmentary terracotta column-krater, items used to mix wine and water, will remain on loan at the MET.
In the same August 2025 press release, the MET announced its intention to return two objects to the Republic of Spain. A harness pendant with leaded brass confronted beast and a harness pendant with copper alloy mounted horseman, both created in the sixth century, will return to Spain.
As was the case with the abovementioned Grecian work, the repatriation project is a collaborative effort between the MET, the Manhattan District Attorney, and the Republics of Italy and Spain. The relationship between the MET and Italy is a longstanding one that has culminated in fruitful collaborations. A MET representative expressed its gratitude for being able to work with Spain and continuing its relations with the professionals in the country.
In October 2025, the MET announced that it would be returning 12 pieces of art to the Hellenic Republic of Greece. The returns comprise four pieces of jewelry, two iron swords, two bronze belt clasps, two terracotta jugs, two stone axe heads, and a group of silver spirals created between 2700 BC and 400 BC. The museum decided to return the items after a thorough investigation by the MET, in collaboration with the Manhattan DA’s Office, which furnished information supporting the return of these pieces.
While all the repatriation efforts are part of the initiative, the MET’s collaboration with the Greek government and the Museum of Cycladic Art is part of a 50-year partnership, where Greece owns the works. Still, it allows the MET to display them for 25 years. In the case of Cycladic Art, 90 percent of it has come from unknown origins, as most of it came from tomb excavations. For more information on this project, visit the MET site at www.metmuseum.org.
About Sandi Pleeter
Sandi Pleeter is a New York City interior designer and founder of Haute Home Studio, where she provides comprehensive design services for residential and commercial clients. With over 20 years of experience in fashion, product development, and construction, she has collaborated with leading architects and contractors throughout the tri-state area. A certified interior designer through the New York School of Interior Design, she also volunteers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and serves on her co-op board, reflecting her dedication to both creative and community-focused pursuits.
