AIC-Protecting Virginia's College Art Collections

I received the following from a fellow appraiser who thought it important the following museum deaccessioning situation at Randloph College was known to members of the appraisal and related professions. We are seeing this type of activity more and more, and I have posted similar content on the AW Blog. The Washington Post recently reported the Corcoran Museum is also having issues about deaccessioning art from its collection. The AW Blog also reported on the University of Iowa exploring the possiblity of selling a Jackson Pollock. This is an ongoing issue on the protection of cultural property and it is bound to continue as financial issues continue to deteriorate. To read the Washington Post article click HERE, or the AW post on the University of Iowa click HERE.

The following is an email cirulating about Randolp College in VA:

Over a century ago, an art collection was started at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (now Randolph College) through the efforts of faculty, alumnae, students, and the greater Lynchburg community. The collection was founded with the express purpose of serving as a permanent educational resource for both the school and the general public. Known since 1983 as the Maier Museum of Art, it was the first public art collection in the Commonwealth, and over the decades it grew to be one of the best small academic collections in the country. Last year the College removed four significant paintings from this collection to sell at auction in order to raise funds for the school’s operating endowment. One, Rufino Tamayo’s “Troubadour,” has already been sold. Three others, including George Bellows’ masterpiece, “Men of the Docks,” are still awaiting auction in New York (the other two are Edward Hicks' “Peaceable Kingdom” and Ernest Martin Hennings’ “Through the Arroyo”).

In early September 2008, The Chronicle of Higher Education published an op-ed supporting the practice of selling art from college collections. That piece, as well as the ongoing struggle over the O'Keeffe gift of art at Fisk University and recent news that the University of Iowa may be considering similar action with regard to a significant Pollock painting, show that the issue of plundering museum collections to support parent organizations' finances is not confined to the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College. Quite apart from the specialized concerns of the museum field, such actions have a negative impact on the communities these museums serve.

What you can do to help: write a letter to Virginia Attorney General Robert McDonnell. Mr. McDonnell may take notice of the concerns of Virginia citizens regarding the dispersal of cultural resources if his office receives a substantial volume of letters. Please note that letters sent last year will not have an impact this year—please write again. Also note that phone calls to the Attorney General’s office will not be helpful. Written communication is crucial. Letters from citizens of the Commonwealth should speak to the impact of this issue on their lives as Virginia residents. Letters from interested persons or groups outside the state are welcome as well, though they should direct attention to the welfare of Virginia’s residents and the long-term health of its cultural and educational organizations.

Please write to the Attorney General to express what the collection at the Maier Museum of Art means to you, and express your thoughts on its value to Virginia’s cultural heritage, educational resources, economic base, and quality of life. Express your opinion on what the loss of the three major paintings awaiting auction will mean to the state’s cultural, educational, and tourism resources. A positive approach will be most effective, so focus on the long-term good that will result from keeping these paintings with the Maier Museum. Be sure to include your name, location, and contact information. It may be helpful to include some information about your personal and professional experiences with the Maier Museum in particular and with museums and museum-based education in general. Individual letters as well as letters from groups of people and families are welcome (please have all members sign the letter if possible).

E-mails: wkincaid@oag.state.va.us

Letters: The Honorable Robert McDonnell
Office of the Attorney General
900 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219 (William Kincaid, Constituent Services, Office of the Attorney General)