Brandeis may keep art, says president

Reaffirms need to close museum

Jehuda Reinharz, Brandeis University president, yesterday opened the possibility that the university would not sell its $350 million art collection but said he would not change his mind about closing Rose Art Museum and turning it into a study and research center.

In a meeting with about 200 students yesterday morning, Reinharz outlined the reasons behind the museum decision, which Brandeis trustees approved unanimously on Monday. At the meeting, and in a later interview, Reinharz confirmed a precipitous drop in the university's endowment but said that if the economic and philanthropic picture brightened, the university might not need to disburse a collection of modern art that includes works by Warhol, de Kooning, and Magritte.

"We have no particular mandate from the board of trustees as to when to sell, how to sell," Reinharz said in an interview.

He added: "If in fact there is a miracle tomorrow morning and the economy turns around and the stock market is up by 45 percent, nothing impels me, nothing impels us, to do anything."

Marty Krauss, Brandeis provost, also shed light on the reasoning behind the closure, which is scheduled for late summer. In an interview, she said university officials believed they could not operate a museum, which is expected to abide by a code of ethics limiting the reasons it can sell off art, and then sell art to pay for needs other than the museum. Closing the 48-year-old museum entirely would provide the university more freedom, Krauss said.

She said school officials have no regrets following the firestorm of criticism the university has received after announcing the dramatic move. At the informational meeting yesterday, administrators disclosed that the school's endowment had fallen roughly 25 percent, from $712 million to $549 million.

"We knew this would be controversial," she said. "We also firmly believe we're doing this for the right reason. This is a bold move to ensure the future of the university."

Reinharz said there is no chance a university museum would someday occupy the Rose's space. Should Brandeis hold onto some or all of its art, "we will do what other universities do," he said. "Lots of universities have collections of art, which they display or don't display."

He said the study and research center would have a gallery space, which will be of "great importance" to the university's fine arts students and to its core educational mission.

Although student protests are planned for today and tomorrow, and arts leaders around the country have condemned the move, some on campus say they understand the trustees' decision.

John Lisman, a biology professor who has taught at Brandeis since 1975, said many colleagues support the trustees.

"To give away a family heirloom is a really painful thing," he said yesterday. "But the overall question is, to ensure the long-term health of the university, what do you do? Maybe you just reduce every department by a third. Do you think leaving every academic weakened is a better option than the Rose option?"

Geoff Edgers can be reached at gedgers@globe.com