The Justice

Originally posted by

sarah jacobs '82

Oh, I am so sad. I was an Art History major. I felt so fortunate to be able to see and examine twentieth centruy treasure close up. I loved how the Rose's collection of Abstract Expressionism was better than that at the Met and other world class museum.

I can understand how selling the collection will raise sorely needed funds.I am sad that the university has to let this treasure go.

Originally posted by

Jeffrey A. Rahn '79

Professor Bernstein, where are you when we need you the most?

My whole life was transformed when I first took a survey course in art as a Brandeis undergraduate. I became so absorbed by American art that I had to expend considerable effort to re-formulate my studeis so I could take more art history courses---culminating in requesting that I be the Brandeis student in several consortium courses.

The ability to pop into the Rose between classes was part of the equation; to be able to borrow art for the dorm room an honor and learning experience on how to be an art patron.
Knowing that I belonged to a community that preserved a major slice of American art history was priceless---since Brandeis was THE major university doing so on an exclusive basis.

Exchanging art for cash is extremely short-sighted and just provides an opportunity for the cash to be de-valued a second time.

A priceless collection---from hundreds of donors who donated because they knew they were helping to create a comprehensive collection--is to be disbursed?! The negative publicity that Brandeis will garner will do more harm to its perceived and actual liberal arts image then the money can do for its short term prospects.

Originally posted by

Daniel Liebman '12

The loss of the Rose is tragic, no doubt. Artists always warn that their craft is the first to go in times of economic hardship, and as was seen in President Reinharz's email last night this has indeed come to pass. I sympathize with those for whom the Rose will most sorely be missed, and I share their anger at the lack of transparency in the process of its closure. But before trashing the Board of Trustees and the administration out of (understanable) reactionary fury, I would ask everyone to take a brief step backwards and look at the situation objectively: we have a 10 MILLION dollar shortfall this year alone. This is not a scheme to squeeze out as much profit as possible - this is the real deal. Many of our best donors have been crippled by the economic crisis, and families are less and less able to afford the tuition payments which we rely on to function. To be blunt- something's gotta give. Certainly, the university could move money around in some other area- but are there any better options? Loss of a needs-blind admissions process? Scrapping financial aid? Firing professors? Eliminating classes and majors? Abandoning the graduate schools? No matter where you look, it's clear that the University has been placed in a lose-lose situation- no matter what we do, someone's going to get hurt, and there's really nothing to be done about it. The Rose is a huge point of pride for this school, but is it worth sacrificing a significant portion of our teaching staff in order to keep? Is it more valuable than our needs-blind promise to applicants and current students? When a person is at risk of freezing to death, his/her body pulls its blood supply away from its extremities to protect its most vital organs- the ones without with it would die within minutes. Sometimes this means that the person loses something incredably important- an arm, a leg - but they live through the ordeal as a result. In Brandeis' case, the vital organs are our student body, our faculty, and our overall academic core, and we must take whatever means are necessary, however painful, to preserve the university first and foremost as a place of learning and academic excellence. Losing the Rose is like losing an arm - as anyone who's been involved with it knows, the museum is so much more than just a "collection of pretty paintings", and its loss painfully handicaps us all in the arts and humanities and thus our ability to produce the exceptionally well-rounded graduates for which we're known. We're not alone- one look at the news is enough to remind us that people are hurting everywhere, and that tough decisions like this are being forced upon schools and businesses around the nation and across the world. Now more than ever it is vital that we remain cohesive and strong as an elite academic institution and as a community, and not let our anger tear us apart.

Originally posted by

DR

Now I know the purpose of an endowment is the long term health of the university and dipping into capital is frowned on -- but here you really have to wonder how much university will be left. . .

Originally posted by

Mindy Nierenberg '77

I was a studio art major at Brandeis, and have worked in higher education for 26 years at other institutions. I am stunned and outraged at Brandeis' decision as an alum, as an artist, and as an educator. Brandeis has been especially hard hit by the current economy (as have many other institutions). But to decide to close a world class art museum's doors and sell off its collection has got to be one of the most barbaric and short-sighted solutions out there. Targeting the art is a quick fix that will have repercussions on the university's reputation and its students for generations to come. Art is not a "frill": it is one of the pillars upon which an education is based, a way to understand the world and create solutions. Artists have been great thinkers, community builders, and sparks that have ignited change on local and global levels. A university art museum educates not only future artists, but also those that will be lawyers, physicians, teachers, scientists, social workers, etc., and provides access to our own and others' imagination and creativity. It doesn't matter if you have never chosen to enter: a university museum with the stature of the Rose is a major contributing factor to the stature of the university. I ask these questions:
1. How can leaders responsible for the financial oversight of the university (BOT and President) not understand the importance of a world class museum to the reputation of Brandeis, to the education its of students, and to the public?
2. How they could make such an important decision cloaked in secrecy, without any input from those who do understand, and those who are most directly impacted? Lack of transparency in this is unacceptable.
3. Why they need to sell a collection worth $350 million when they have stated that their shortfall is $10 million. Brandeis has not been public about what they have lost to Madoff. Other schools (such as Tufts), foundations, and individuals have been open about this but Brandeis has been silent. Is there a greater loss than we are aware of?
Shutting the Rose and selling off every last bit of a collection amassed by thoughtful donors and curators for over 50 years could be the saddest day in the university history.