Boy winding line, Winslow Homer, 1875.
After a good deal of soul-searching, the Plainfield Public Library's board of trustees has decided to sell one of its three Homer art works at auction this coming week.
The story is well-reported by Mark Spivey in the Friday print edition of the Courier, but it never made it online until later in the day.
Read the full story and explanation of how the decision was arrived at and how the proceeds will be guarded and spent here.
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4 comments:
So I guess this will set a president that if you leave endowment there is no guarantee that it will stay there. Could they pick a worst time to auction anything? The reason that their fund raisers fell short is due to the economy. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that they are not going to get what it is worth. What’s the haste? If it’s worth so much why can’t you rent it to a museum? Sounds a lot like what happened to Muhlenberg hospital. Hasn’t anyone figured out that once its gone you can not get it back? Not in Plainfield.
Positive spin on a negative act by the library board. First the hospital and now a WH painting. Can't expect much from well meaning people who have little or no historical perspective of the community and little or no emotional ties to the community. Selling assests is a short term fix that does not address the cause for the library's economic plight. Unless the causes are addressed, we can expect the selling of more assets such as a Beirdstadt painting. The donor of the WP expected the library to preserve the pinting for future generations to view not to sell the painting to cover capital improvements and operating expenses. To think otherwise is self-serving and an abuse of position by the board.
Well at least you printed Bill's comments. I didn’t think you were like JG and printed only what you want to hear. Too bad Dan because some people have to be anonymous because we have to work with the powers to be and as you know when you lost your job, you cant voice your opinion!
This message is just for you Dan.
Anonymous.
To 4:23 --
Just for the record, I retired in 2006, and didn't 'lose my job'. Others were less fortunate, and then there are some who didn't lose their job, but were made to work under such conditions as in the basement of the annex with the rats and mildew.
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