Cranky Professor points out to us that another single-sex institution is going co-ed, which seems to be the way of the world. Grrl Power doesn't seem to apply to institutions which have given women cherished alma maters with a feminine character. What is sad about this particular transition is that the new direction of the school is leading to the sale of some precious artwork to pad the bank accounts.
George Bellows’ “Men of the Docks,” Edward Hicks’ “A Peaceable Kingdom,” Ernest Hennings’ “Through the Arroyo” and Rufino Tamayo’s “Troubador” will be sold in two public auctions in late November, college spokeswoman Brenda Edson said. Officials expect the auctions, which will be held through New York-based Christie’s auction house, to raise $32 million or more, Edson said.
It's not just the money. There are the troubling indicators that lead observers to think that the school is making unwise decisions, leading to the conclusion that "the school [was] spending its endowment at an unsustainable rate." Ellen Agnew was a former associate director of the museum who just resigned after 23 years.
“There was no forewarning,” she said. “This is such an egregious breach of trust, of professionalism and of any kind of ethics … I would be close to calling it an act of vandalism for this community to do this under the cloak of secrecy.”
She calls “Men of the Docks,” the “cornerstone of the collection.” It was the first painting purchased under the direction of Louise Jordan Smith, the school’s first art professor, to form the permanent art collection. “Its significance is beyond measure in what it symbolizes - the vision, the foresight, the dedicated purpose of Louise Jordan Smith and the students and the Lynchburg community.”
Bless our sister Louise and her vision. May her original purpose be sustained and protected for those she intended.
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