Brandeis continues Monty Burns approach on Rose Art Museum

I can't predict the outcome of the lawsuit filed by three Rose Art Museum overseers to stop Brandeis University's closing of the Rose Art Museum and block the potential liquidation of some or all of its collection of modern and contemporary art. As reported by Greg Cook last night and the Globe today, three overseers have sued to block any sale of the art and to keep the museum open (although its curator and most of its staff have already been sent packing.) One of the three is Jonathan Lee, whose mother donated 500 works to the museum, so you can see why he'd take this to heart; another is Meryl Rose, for whose generous family the museum is named. A last-ditch and perhaps fanciful option in their lawsuit is for Brandeis to turn the collection over to a newly created foundation which would find it an appropriate home.

Brandeis, meanwhile, continues its hardball corporate approach, sending outside counsel Thomas Reilly, a former Massachusetts AG, into the fray with a statement sneering that the lawsuit is "frivolous" and that overseers are "oblivious" to the university's educational mission and its budgetary needs. But people whose families have given millions of dollars of art to an institution where they should be shared by all can hardly be described as "oblivious" to the educational needs of Brandeis students - they simply have a different view of those needs. There's nothing frivolous about their attempt to save this legacy.

Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz and his administration have come across as tone deaf, arrogant and not particularly believable throughout this process. Winning seems to be everything now, and if that means insulting the families who gave millions to create the museum and its collection, so be it. (Oblivious??) The Reinharz team comes off like Monty Burns, and they've done everything but set loose the hounds, although, come to think of it, there was that outside PR firm they hired in the spring - and Reilly.

In the statement, Reilly says, “We look forward to aggressively defending our position in court.” I know it's only legal saber rattling, but, um, really? You look forward to it?

What a sad spectacle. But only the Brandeis community can change it.

Comments

[Aline Carriere]

As a Brandeis alum and a lawyer my stomach turns everytime I read about what the administration is doing to the Rose Art Museum. In my time the museum was an oasis, a sanctuary on campus. I can't believe the administration is spending money on expensive lawyers instead of finding a way to save this treasure. This is not the Brandeis I knew. It is not in keeping with the Brandeis tradition as I understand it. The closing of the museum and treatment of the generous donors is appalling. It is like a theft in broad daylight.