The College Art Association, the country’s largest organization of artists and art historians, has now joined the professional groundswell of condemnation against the planned art sales from the Maier Museum. CAA has issued a statement that not only deplores the sale of art for purposes other than funding acquisitions, but also alludes to the procedural irregularities in Randolph College’s deaccessioning.
CAA declared:
Most colleges and universities adhere to a transparent process for financial exigency where all stake-holders are consulted in advance of decisions. CAA expects that any process that involves the disposal of art or not be an open one that is clearly articulated and involves all stake-holders. A dialogue and transparency are needed for such major decisions.
I cannot think of another recent issue that has so moved the professional art community to speak with one voice. Can these paintings be saved?
Here is the CAA’s complete statement:
Proposed Randolph College Art Collection Sale
The College Art Association, the largest membership organization in the country for artists and art historians, represents the interests of a wide variety of art professionals. In this capacity, CAA supports and promotes best practices and professional guidelines for all institutions related to the making, display and preservation of art. Thus we feel we must comment on the redistribution of cultural assets through sales and other means, as is being considered at Randolph College.
The College Art Association understands that the sale of the Maier Museum of Art’s collection is to provide operating revenue for Randolph College, and, as such, contravenes the Professional Practices for Art Museums policy outlined by the American Association of Museums and the Association of Art Museum Directors.
This policy, which College Art Association wholeheartedly endorses, states that art collections are held by museums as a public trust and that any decisions to sell objects from the collection should be based on donor intent and aesthetic quality. Any revenue gained from sales is solely to support future art acquisitions.
Most colleges and universities adhere to a transparent process for financial exigency where all stake-holders are consulted in advance of decisions. CAA expects that any process that involves the disposal of art or not be an open one that is clearly articulated and involves all stake-holders. A dialogue and transparency are needed for such major decisions.
The Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College has an outstanding teaching collection that has served both professors and students extremely well and it has become part of the fabric of the established curriculum of Randolph College. It is a unique resource that is a source of study, research and contemplation not only for art and art history majors but also for all disciplines. It is also a valuable community resource that provides a source of pride, enjoyment and study to the non-academic community. In other words, it is an asset that goes well beyond the financial one and contributes to the educational mission of the college.