Monday, August 10, 2009

Arts Programming Cuts

The top story in the NYT Arts section today tells how "tens of thousands of students at public and private colleges and universities around the country will find arts programs, courses and teachers missing — victims of piercing budget cuts — when they descend on campuses this month and next." You can read the gory details here.

Derek Fincham thinks it perhaps "indicates ... a potential tide of deaccessions across the country":

"Given this, I think we need to seriously ask whether the current set of rules for deaccessioning works of art are really ensuring the continued viability of the arts. Why can't a University decide to sell all or part of its art collection? So long as it remains on display or available to researchers in the public trust, who is harmed?"