Sale of valuable artwork at Valparaiso University art museum prompts lawsuit
Some extremely valuable works of art, including one by the renowned painter Georgia O'Keeffe, from a museum at Valparaiso University in Indiana will be heading to the auction block.
The school said it needs to sell the artwork to help pay for dorm renovations, but CBS News Chicago heard from a now-retired founding director who fought hard to stop the sale.
The artwork, "Rust Red Hills," was completed by O'Keeffe in 1930 and features the vibrant hues of a New Mexico landscape.
"It was a painting that was kind of monumental," said Richard Brauer, the retired director of the Brauer Museum of Art on the Valparaiso campus.
Brauer worked at the museum that bears his name from 1961 until 1997. In 1996, it was named after him.
At the age of 97, Brauer recalls the works of art that brought the museum prominence.
"I wanted the best," he said.
Brauer was part of the committee that acquired "Rust Red Hills" in 1962. It was purchased through the Percy H. Sloan Trust for $5,700.
"I was just new to it and I didn't realize, to us and our income, that was kind of a lot of money," he said.
Today, O'Keeffe's "Rust Red Hills" is valued at between $10.5 million to $15 million. The other works purchased through the trust included Childe Hassam's "The Silver Veil and the Golden Gate." Back in 1967, it cost $9,000. Today, it's valued at between $1 million and $3.5 million.
Frederic E. Church's "Mountain Landscape" is valued at between $1 million and $3 million. Brauer said Sloan bought it in 1950 for $22 and the museum acquired it in 1953.
Valparaiso University wants to sell all three works to pay for the renovation of freshmen dorms.
Brauer filed a lawsuit to fight the sale and said selling the artwork would violate the trust and the wishes of the late Percy H. Sloan.
"[Sloan] spent his life as an art teacher in the Chicago Public Schools," Brauer said. "And so his goal was to help use the collection to help students see the joy of beauty in paintings and nature."
A judge ruled the sale could go through.
"I just see that as a precedent that would be easy to do again," Brauer said.
In a statement, the university said, "We would like to thank the Indiana Attorney General, Todd Rokita, and his staff, for all of their work in helping us find a resolution that would allow the University to move forward with the sale of the art and still honor Mr. Sloan's intent. We would also like to thank Porter County Superior Court for their decision. This marks the successful completion of the comprehensive due diligence required for the artwork's sale. At this time, a definitive timeline for the sale has not been established. The artwork will be stored securely at an offsite facility until the sale is finalized. Following the completion of the sale, work on dorm renovation will begin.
This has been a difficult decision throughout , but we believe that this way forward represents the best possible future for the Sloan trust, our students, and our University as a whole."
The museum closed in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic and the staff was let go, then reopened for a very brief period under a new director before closing again. CBS News Chicago's requests for comment were not returned. A call to the museum was met with a voicemail which said, "Messages from the media requesting commentary on the Brauer will not be returned."
Brauer said if the sale goes through, he wants his name removed from the museum. He said the artwork should remain on display there for future generations to enjoy it.
