Brandeis head regrets actions on museum

February 5, 2009 07:01 PM Email| Comments (11)| Text size – +

By Tracy Jan, Globe Staff

Brandeis University president Jehuda Reinharz issued a public mea culpa to the university community today, acknowledging that he mishandled last week’s announcement about the closure of the school's Rose Art Museum.

“To quote President Obama, ‘I screwed up,’ ” Reinharz wrote in a letter e-mailed to faculty and students.

Obama had made that comment Tuesday, after abandoning his nomination fight for two appointees who had failed to pay all their taxes.

Reinharz' effort to soothe a factured Brandeis community came after the board's sudden decision to allow the administration to close the museum incited internal dissent as well as criticism from the art and philanthropic worlds.

In an attempt to quell the public outcry, Reinharz also walked a fine semantic line and said in his letter that "the museum will remain open" and "be more fully integrated into the university's central educational mission."

In reality, the Rose museum as it exists today will eventually cease to operate and instead will be turned into an educational center for Brandeis students and faculty, Reinharz told the Globe on Wednesday. It will include more student and faculty exhibits, and the public will still be allowed to visit.

"We're saying we're turning it into a gallery and a teaching site for the faculty of the fine arts," Reinharz told the Globe. "We don't want to be in the public museum business."

As for the art, Reinharz clarified that the university does not intend to put all 7,180 works up on the auction block. Only a "minute number" would be sold "if and when it is necessary," he said in Wednesday's interview.

"In retrospect, I wish I had handled the initial statements I made in a far more direct way," Reinharz wrote in the letter today. The university's initial communications about the museum's future, he said, did not accurately reflect the board's decision to simply allow for the art works to be sold, following legal guidelines, if it becomes financially necessary.

"But I assure you that other options will also be considered," Reinharz wrote. "I regret as well that I did not find a more inclusive and open way to engage the Brandeis community in the deliberations that led to the board's decision. I take full responsiblity for causing pain and embarrassment in both of these matters."

His statement followed a sharply worded rebuke from faculty late Wednesday, who urged him in a letter to suspend any final decisions on the museum. The affair, they said, had created a "crisis of confidence" among faculty.

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11 comments so far...

I guess they couldent sell those ugly paintings for the money the doners said they are worth.

Posted by Big Jim February 5, 09 07:37 PM

According to a February 2nd New York Times op-ed ("In the Closing of Brandeis Museum, a Stark Statement of Priorities") the Rose is "a museum that supports itself, raises its own funds and has consistently planned wisely for its own future without leaning on the university." The Museum even paid Brandeis a sum to cover its utilities. For University President Reinharz to tell the Globe, "[w]e don't want to be in the public museum business" suggests that the Rose was a drag on Brandeis' bottom line, when nothing could be further from the truth: it cost Brandeis nothing to be in the public museum business. The unanimous vote to close the museum, however, has apparently cost President Reinharz and the Board of Trustees quite a lot.

Posted by deminimus February 5, 09 07:56 PM

I applaude the president for admitting he did things wrong. I now have full confidence in the man because he 'saw the light' and wants to do what is right. Good for him - everyone makes mistakes, but it takes a good man/woman to admit when they 'screwed up'. No big deal - now just do the right thing and all will be well. Mr. President, carry on with my full support. You have an amazing institution of higher learning - I hope you can get the finances in order. It will be difficult, but I have no doubt you can do it. Brandeis is a melting pot for some of the best minds in this nation... with this behind you, I'm certain you carry it to new heights. Good luck, sir.

Posted by Jeff February 5, 09 08:28 PM

He screwed up alright, and I hope nobody buys this PR smoke and mirror act. TADA, he's still ditching the Rose's art collection, which is the real gaffe here. Selling the artwork does not make any sense, no matter how you look at it. Art is an important part of a balanced education, and should not be the first thing the university gets rid of to raise funds. Sure the economy is tough, but there must still be some Alumni out there with money left. Reinharz should be out there begging them for every penny they can spare; his job, and maybe the university's reputation, depends on it. Coming back from his fund raising trip empty-handed and throwing the university's hard earned art collection off the side of the boat is a lazy, short-sighted solution, and an unacceptable performance from Reinharz. If their excuse for being in a jam is that alumni donations are down, selling off alumni donated artwork doesn't seem like the right way to go about fixing it.

Posted by Mike Willard, NU '10 February 5, 09 09:00 PM

maybe they got a bailout...do what you say, say what you mean...

Posted by josh February 5, 09 09:04 PM

How refreshing. Is this a new turn for America? Our leaders can admit they are human and may have erred! Instead of the GW era of 'no I didn't' or Clinton's 'I did not have relations...' it looks like our leaders are being RESPONSIBLE for their mistakes and don't mind admitting it. I think this opens up a whole new level of trust between the public and their servants-thanks! Keep up the good work!

Posted by DrDre February 5, 09 09:24 PM

Sorry...Reinharz is talking in "crisis management' speak., and he will be unable to soothe the ruffled feathers of the University's donors so quickly. He is overlooking the fact that the Rose is completely self-sustaining, and there is no need to close the Museum and transform it into a teaching space; the art faculty doesn't appear to be in a hurry to use the space.

This story is far from over and the Globe need to stay on top of it.

Posted by Kipper February 5, 09 10:24 PM

Sounds like he backpedaled real fast from the public outrage. I would hope that his phone was ringing day and night from alumni and donators - what a fiasco! Leave the legacy of the art alone and start thinking outside of the campus box - offer more online programs and get involved in Elderhostel type programs so that the campus can get the needed exposure to the community at large. Brandeis will never be a BC re. sports so why not cut back on such programs. Get a mailing list out to alumni and well-known Jewish artists and community and cultural leaders to resolve its financial woes. But definitely do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Such a decision could very well dry up the future of art donations. What a terrible way to balance &/or cut budget. And the decision to close off the art museum to just students and staff sounds like a form of barricading himself from future criticism. Why not fire those who made bad Madoff investments on behalf of the school?!!! That alone may be a viable way to recoup some of the lost funds.

Posted by R. B. Williams February 5, 09 10:52 PM

FIRE JEHUDA! If you messed that up what else have you messed up that you are not telling us about!

Posted by GAry February 6, 09 12:57 AM

Everyone realized this was a mistake but him!

www.claymonkey.net

Posted by Bob February 6, 09 03:56 AM

Not an alum, but have spent over 30 years helping to raise funds for the library through the Brandies University National Women's Committee. Reinharz & company did the same thing to this organization which raised millions over the years. We were literally "dismissed" and given orders to obey or disband.
rogozo

Posted by Ro Zohn February 6, 09 02:40 PM