Valparaiso University in Indiana has closed its Brauer Museum of Art and dismissed director Jonathan Canning amid a heated debate over the proposed sale of valuable artworks. The closure and dismissal are part of a broader “administrative restructuring” to address the university’s $9 million operational deficit and declining enrollment. The controversy arose when the university announced plans to sell three key pieces from the museum’s collection to fund dormitory renovations. The works include Georgia O’Keeffe’s Rust Red Hills (1930), valued at $15 million, Frederic Edwin Church’s Mountain Landscape, valued at $2 million, and Childe Hassam’s Silver Vale and the Golden Gate, valued at $3.5 million.
The proposed sale drew significant backlash from the art community, including condemnation from the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Art Museum Directors. Former museum director Richard Brauer and former Valparaiso University law professor Philipp Brockington filed a lawsuit to delay the sale, arguing it violated the terms of the original gift agreement by Percy H. Sloan, who donated the Church artwork and funded the acquisition of the Hassam and O’Keeffe pieces in the 1960s. Valparaiso University defended its decision, citing the high value and associated security risks of keeping the artworks. The university noted the need for security upgrades, estimated between $50,000 and $100,000, and the annual cost of professional guards at $150,000. The university also argued that storage fees for the paintings were an unnecessary burden given its financial situation.
The closure of the Brauer Museum surprised the local community, especially after the recent opening of “America the Beautiful,” a summer exhibition featuring Impressionist paintings from the museum’s collection. This decision has raised concerns about the future of other university programs, as Valparaiso University is also considering the discontinuation of up to 30 academic programs, including German, theology, philosophy, and music performance.
Selena Mattei