Left In Lowell

Selling art to keep college tuition down

3 Responses to “Selling art to keep college tuition down”

1. Ryan Says:
   January 28th, 2009 at 11:48 pm

   I don’t know. Having an art collection can be a nice thing. It certainly can be an asset to students of their art program, for example. Plus, it’s something to do for the community. One other thing to consider: much of their art was given to them through donations, some of them even stipulating that they be on public display. Selling those pieces certainly betrays the level of trust from those willing to make donations. I know I wouldn’t be making future donations if something I gave to a school were later sold.

   Sadly, the UMASS system probably doesn’t have the Brandeis option. I can’t speak for the other UMASS schools, but UMASS Dartmouth certainly did not have any special art collections. Occasionally, there were student exhibits throughout campus (and UMD does have an awesome art program), but nothing that’s selling by enough to reduce fees. The rare permanent art displayed at UMASS was almost always provided by students - not to mention paid for by them (or student organizations funded through the student activity fee or various fundraisers).

2. Bob Forrant Says:
   January 29th, 2009 at 8:34 am

   Art collections or not, cutting this much from public higher ed in the state is one of those things that my grandmother would have called penny wise and pound foolish. As applications soar at the ‘publics’ we cut budgets, lay off staff and faculty, raise the price and miss a golden opportunity (though admittedly caused by an economic crisis) to showcase why the public system adds value to the economy and offers an excellent way for families to afford a college education for their children. Teaching at UMass Lowell I know full well how hard it is for lots of my students to afford their education. Many of them work long hours during the semester and take semesters off to work so thta thye can then return to school. Jacked up fees, if that comes to pass, are a tax on the middle and working class families who need an affordable alternative to the privates that dot the region and state. UMass Lowell is already cut to the bone in lots of departments and areas of the campus, so further cuts willlikely impact on the quality of the education that gets delivered. Meanwhile gas bags and criminals at our so-called leading financial institutions continue to collect massive bonuses for screwing the economy up, foreclosures continue at a record pace, home values fall, and thousands of jobs disappear while partisan and hack-o-rama politics go on as usually in city halls, state houses, and Congress. There oughta be a law!

3. Paul Marion Says:
   January 29th, 2009 at 5:51 pm

   I would hope there is not a trend here with Brandeis making a move on its art center. Down at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston this afternoon, the Governor’s new Council on the Creative Economy was launched with its first meeting. UMass Lowell Chancellor Meehan and Deb Belanger of the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitor Bureau are members of the 25-person Council being chaired by Sec. of Housing and Economic Development Dan O’Connell. Gov. Patrick is saying that the Creative Economy is one of the principal strands in the state’s economic development strategy, along with strong threads like Life Sciences and Clean Technology/Energy. The Council will shape a state policy to promote the development of services, products, and experiences sparked by innovation, imagination, and preservation. We need to attend to the cultural resources of Massachusetts, which are among our most valuabe natural resources statewide. The combined cultural heritage, contemporary culture, and creative talent in Massachusetts rivals any place in the USA except maybe New York City and Los Angeles, and those places would lean more to current talent than heritage assets.

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