I apologize for any cross-postings.  This may be of interest to those on the
Virginia History list who are also concerned about the situation at the
Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College.

Martha Katz-Hyman

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Janice Klein <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, Sep 15, 2008 at 1:25 AM
Subject: [AASLH Hist House Mus] FW: [ACUMG-L] Maier Museum of Art
To: Registrars Committee of the AAM <[log in to unmask]>, Historic
House Group <[log in to unmask]>, Field Service list <
[log in to unmask]>, Small Museums Listserv <
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-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] <ACUMG-L%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:
[log in to unmask] <ACUMG-L%40yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf
Of [log in to unmask] <karolannlawson%40aol.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 12:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <ACUMG-L%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [ACUMG-L] Maier Museum of Art

September 2008

Friends and colleagues:

Your help is needed now.

An art collection was started at Randolph-Macon Woman's College (now
Randolph College) over a century ago through the efforts of faculty,
alumnae, students, and the greater Lynchburg community with the
expressed purpose of serving as a permanent educational resource for
the school and for the general public. It was the first publicly
accessible art collection in the Commonwealth and, known since 1983 as
the Maier Museum of Art, over the decades it grew to be one of the best
small academic collections in the country. A year ago, the College sent
four significant paintings from this collection to auction in order to
raise funds for the school's operating endowment. One, Rufino Tamayo's
Troubadour, has already been sold. Three others, including George
Bellows' masterpiece, Men of the Docks, are still awaiting auction in
New York. (The other two are Edward Hicks' Peaceable Kingdom and Ernest
Martin Hennings' Through the Arroyo.)

In early September 2008 The Chronicle of Higher Education published an
op-ed arguing for the propriety of selling art from college
collections. That piece, as well as the continuing struggle over the
O'Keeffe gift of art at Fisk University and recen
t news that the
University of Iowa may be considering similar action with regard to a
significant Pollock painting make it clear that the issue of removing
objects from museum collections to support parent organizations'
finances is not confined to the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph
College. Quite apart from the specialized concerns of the museum field,
such actions have a real impact on the communities these museums
serve.

There is reason to believe that the Attorney General of Virginia,
Robert McDonnell, may take notice of the concerns of Virginia citizens
regarding the dispersal of cultural resources if his office receives a
substantial volume of letters.

What you can do to help now: Write a letter to Virginia Attorney
General Robert McDonnell. Please note: letters sent last year will not
have an impact this year. Please write again. Also note, phone calls to
the Attorney General's office will not be helpful. Written
communication is crucial. Letters from Virginia residents that speak to
the impact of this issue on their lives as citizens of the Commonwealth
will be most pertinent to the Attorney General. Letters from interested
persons or groups outside the state are welcome as well, though in
their letters correspondents should direct attention to the welfare of
Virginia residents and the long-term health of its cultural and
educatio
nal organizations.

Please write to the Attorney General to express what the collection at
the Maier Museum of Art means to you, and express your thoughts on its
value to Virginia's cultural heritage, educational resources, economic
base, and quality of life. Express your opinion on what the loss of the
three major paintings awaiting auction will mean to the state's
cultural, educational, quality of life, and tourism resources. A
positive approach will be most effective. Focus on the long-term good
that can come from his actions at this juncture. In the letter be sure
to include your name, location, and contact information. It may be
helpful to include some information about your personal and
professional experiences with the Maier Museum in particular and with
museums and museum-based education in general. Individual letters as
well as letters from groups of people and families are welcome (please
have all members sign the letter if possible).

E-mails: [log in to unmask]
<mailto:wkincaid%40oag.state.va.us<wkincaid%2540oag.state.va.us>>
state.va.us
(William Kincaid, Constituent
Services, Office of the Attorney General)

Letters: The Honorable Robert McDonnell
Office of the Attorney General
900 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219

Please send this e-mail at your discretion to others asking them to

write to the Attorney General and to pass this request along to their
friends and colleagues as well. Every voice counts. Participation from
a wide variety of people, of all ages, from all localities, and from
all walks of life is important.

Please write today.

Thank you.


Karol Lawson
Lynchburg, VA
karolannlawson@ <mailto:karolannlawson%40aol.com<karolannlawson%2540aol.com>>
aol.com



----------



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