Court Rules Fisk Can Sell Off Art; Alumni Irate
A Nashville chancery court has granted Fisk University permission to sell a half-share in its famed Stieglitz art collection for $30 million. The Court also ruled that $20 million of the sale be set aside in a trust to preserve the art if Fisk's money troubles force the school to close.
Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper was not pleased with the ruling, having argued that it violates O'Keeffe's explicit wish that the collection never be sold. He also warned that allowing the sale might deter other donors from giving to Tennessee museums and universities in the future.
According to this article, despite the ruling, a small group of Fisk University alumni have signed a letter requesting the resignation of president Hazel O'Leary in part because of her role in the school's efforts to sell the art collection.
