Baruch art goes up for auction

While students are required to take classes such as art to fulfill their academic requirements and broaden their general knowledge, Baruch College plans to sell off valuable art pieces for a few extra bucks.

The Baruch College Fund is having famed auction house Christie's appraise the Sidney Mishkin Gallery's artwork, according to Dr. Glenn Petersen, chair of the sociology and anthropology department.

"I was informally told the Baruch College Fund had voted to sell this off," Petersen told The Ticker. "No one would have known."

Petersen, a member of the Baruch College Faculty Senate, motioned a resolution in April asking the College Fund to open a dialogue with the senate to explore other options for the artwork. The motion was approved unanimously and supported by then Baruch College President Kathleen Waldron.

However, the Baruch College Fund chose to push its plans along and possibly sell off the Mishkin collection, which consists of 10 pieces.

The art collection, which was donated by Sidney Mishkin, includes works by surrealists Max Ernst, Andre Masson and Man Ray. Also represented are Alexander Calder, Marsden Hartley and Barbara Hepworth.

At Thursday's faculty senate meeting, Petersen renewed his fight to save the artwork from liquidation and prevent a "dangerous precedent" where the College Fund reduces the college's cultural and artistic collection for the sake of money.

"I respectfully ask you [President Stan Altman] to ask the Baruch College Fund to delay any action on this," Petersen said before the faculty senate.

Altman dismissed Petersen's plea, saying, "I'm not authorized to make that request."

He added: "The answer is it's not going to happen."

A vote on the Petersen's motion was approved and Altman then urged the senators to vote it down.

"It's the wrong message to tell [the Baruch College Fund] what to do," said Altman.

Petersen quickly replied, asking the senators to understand that they aren't voting on whether to save Baruch's art collection.

Instead, Petersen explained the senate was voting on whether there should be a discussion between the two organizations regarding these types of decisions.

"I feel just the opposite," Petersen said. "For the senate to be ignored this way sets a dangerous precedent. This is a vote [on] whether we have a request for discussion be honored."

The senate sided with Altman though, with Petersen receiving just three votes.

"I was blown away that I didn't receive the support," Petersen said after the meeting. "I think people didn't want to be seen as going against the president."

Allowing the Baruch College Fund to continue with its plan and not consult the faculty senate is sending the wrong message, according to Petersen.

"If people know stuff given to the college could be sold off at any time, it may convince people not to," said the Baruch professor, who has been teaching at the college for 33 years. "The value is disregarded."

The discussion Petersen was looking for would have been an opportunity to explore whether the artwork could be lent to other museums in exchange for other pieces, or some other option that didn't include liquidation.

But the Vietnam combat veteran isn't giving up this fight anytime soon.

"I'm probably going to do it again in my bull-headed way," said Petersen. "I believe in taking a principled stand, even if you don't win."