Despite mounting criticism from the campus community, Valparaiso University is holding firm on its decision to sell three cornerstone pieces of artwork from the Brauer Museum of Art to fund renovations at dorms for first-year students.
In a Friday email to the Post-Tribune, a university spokesperson said officials explored other funding options but the deaccession of the artwork, including a work by Georgia O’Keeffe, provides the necessary money to move forward with the renovations on a timeline that works best for the university.
“The projected cost of renovating Brandt Hall and Wehrenberg Hall is approximately $8 million. The decision to explore a potential sale of artwork was made after extensive and prayerful consideration, with the goal to have access to the proceeds quickly, to meet an urgent need. Other avenues would not allow the University to stay on track to have this project completed by Fall 2024,” Michael Fenton said.
“We are proceeding carefully and evaluating many factors to best serve the needs of our students and Valparaiso’s future, and are continuing to conduct a comprehensive due diligence process.”
The plan includes selling O’Keeffe’s “Rust Red Hills,” perhaps the museum’s famous work; Frederic E. Church’s “Mountain Landscape” and Childe Hassam’s “The Silver Vale and the Golden Gate.” Collectively, the paintings are worth millions of dollars.
Dick Brauer, the museum’s founding director and for whom it is named, has said he wants his name removed from the facility if the sale goes forward.
“We are saddened by Mr. Brauer’s position — we hope that does not happen and that the museum can carry on his legacy,” Fenton said. “We deeply appreciate his service and dedication to our University. We are confident that the museum will continue to be an important destination for our region, for both artistic education and future exhibits.”
While Valparaiso Mayor Matt Murphy issued a statement supporting Valparaiso University President Jose Padilla and the decision, students, faculty and alumni are outraged. Students marched to Padilla’s office to present their letters against the decision, faculty members drafted a letter to the Faculty Senate leadership decrying the move.
“We recognize that outside groups and some community members may have different viewpoints, and we respect them,” Fenton said. “Our primary mission is to protect the best interests of our students and provide them with a world-class college experience. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of all the University’s donors, which we expect to continue.”
A summary of the Feb. 15 Faculty Senate meeting, during which the deaccession of the artwork dominated much of the conversation, provided more details of the administration’s viewpoint as Padilla and five members of the administrative cabinet provided a rationale for the sale.
“The presentation included housing numbers and loss of revenue over time, the cost/benefits of pursuing renovations, a case for the need for immediate capital, the authority of the President and Board in these matters, the issue of ethics, the managing of risk (around negative press, potential donor impacts, and possibility of censure), and a brief background of the museum,” the meeting summary states.
“In a resource-strapped environment, the institution will continue to investigate the reallocation of resources across campus to finance the Strategic Plan or provide for other institutional needs.”
University administrators also addressed concerns from members of the Faculty Senate, including redirecting funds from the university’s endowment for the dorm renovations. The restrictions on endowment do not leave enough flexibility to allocate funds beyond their intended uses, university officials said during the meeting.
Officials also said based on internal surveys of 2,000 students, housing conditions appear to be a primary negative factor in the student experience. As far as the trust of future donors, “the risk of damaging donor relationships is real, but in practice across institutions, strategic imperative trumps the fear of that happening,” according to the meeting summary.
Still, more than 90 current and former faculty members signed a letter written by Matthew Becker, a professor of theology at the university. Approximately one-third of the current faculty signed the letter. Jonathan Canning, the director of the Brauer Museum, also signed it. The announcement also has garnered criticism from the art world.
“Please, do everything you can to reverse this imprudent action. We can find another way to avoid selling our most valued art treasures in order to improve resident halls,” the Feb. 13 letter states.
The letter states faculty members were “deeply hurt” by a decision made without their consultation or the consultation of the museum’s collections committee and that selling the paintings, two of which were purchased through a restrictive trust, is unethical.
“The lack of shared governance and of transparency about the process by which this decision was made has undermined our trust in the administration,” the letter states, going on to say that its signees “do not intend this letter to be a public rebuke of President Padilla. We want to support his efforts to lead our university.”
An online petition directed at Padilla and the university’s board of directors, www.artisacoreresource.com, also asks for a halt to the sale.
“The Brauer is part of a venerable tradition of American university museums, many located in small communities like Valparaiso. They are vital resources. They foster intellectual curiosity in and between diverse disciplines; they encourage cross-cultural dialogue and promote inclusivity. The Brauer lies at the heart of the university, and we challenge any interpretation of the university’s strategic plan and core mission that envisions otherwise,” the petition states.