A committee assembled to evaluate Brandeis University’s controversial decision to change the mission of its art museum and to perhaps sell off parts of its collection has made no push to stop the University’s decision, according to the Boston Globe.
The committee released a six-page interim report Thursday that supported the idea of turning the Rose Museum into a student educational center.
The report seems to have drawn the ire of the chairman of the Rose Museum’s board of overseers Jonathan Lee, who called the committee "Stalinesque":
Lee said he wasn’t surprised by the interim report, issued late yesterday, which largely sets the stage for a continued examination of the Rose and a final report to be issued in the fall. He also questioned the administration and committee’s contention that the Rose remains a viable museum when director Rush’s tenure is set to end in two months.
"There isn’t going to be a director or curator," said Lee. "Nobody is going to lend us a picture for a show and we are not going to in any way be able to put a show together."
In the report, the committee said the university’s Board of Trustees will decide whether to sell the art. "We assume that whatever decisions the board makes regarding such sales, there will remain a substantial collection of art to be preserved and made available for research, study, and cultivation," the report states.
Over the next few months, the committee will get input from faculty, students, Rose supporters, Brandeis trustees, and outside specialists before issuing a final report in the fall.
Hat tip to the Chronicle of Philanthropy for pointing this one out.
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