Cashing in on Culture: Betraying the Trust at the Rose Art Museum

Synopsis

Facing a lengthening recession and massive budget shortfalls, what does a university do with its $350 million art museum? Cashing in on Culture , by Francine Koslow Miller, is a firsthand account of Brandeis University's attempt to close down its famed Rose Art Museum and sell off major pieces from the museum's collection to close budget gaps in other areas of the university. The ill-considered plan caused an uproar in the art community and on campus when it was first proposed in January 2009. The controversy continued for two and a half years, until ongoing protests and a lawsuit by a number of the Rose's overseers brought a stop to the university's plan-at least for the time being-and reaffirmed the Rose as one of the nation's top university art museums. Miller is an alumnus of Brandeis and a respected Boston-area art critic and journalist. Tracking this story was a labor of love and the resulting book tells a very local story with very national implications.