I love reading comments by various members who state with self-assurance, even while boasting of loving art, that they are alumni of Valparaiso but never visited the art museum, didn't know about it, didn't even know where the Center for the Arts was located on campus, never heard of the O'Keeffe painting, or weren't aware of the great esteem in which the university and the community hold Richard Brauer. This is a classic example of inadvertent "self-owning."
This isn't self owning. This is being real. You can love art, and not have attended a museum. This isnt like being a roller coaster enthusiast where your worth is determined by your amount of "Coaster credits". Is one not an art enjoyer if they don't watch every tuba Christmas, Is one not an art enjoyer un less they have visited so many museums, or seen so many paintings. We get it, you are friends with Brauer and are offended at the measures taken to sell these pieces. The methods are shady and backhanded, but when the FOA and others have denied the university the ability to fight for its future because of the "good old days" then being a "villain" is the only option left, but what would you rather have. Sell 3 pieces of art, and secure a better shot at stability and security, or sell the art in 50 years when the university eventually closes because they could not attain funding for much needed services to attract students.
You also speak towards the community praise for Richard Brauer, where is it? I surely have not heard any praise towards this man, and I have attended various art events in town since I was in grade school. This is the first I am hearing abut this supposedly esteemed gentleman. The younger generations of Valpo know not of this man, and the older generation have not cared to acknowledge him either.
If people did not know about the art museum, then it must have been poorly marketed as a facility for all to enjoy, which is no surprise seeing as the social media Prescence of the school and branding initiatives had bee lacking up until very recently. Heck even most Valpo residents knew nothing until the issues over sale of art. The fact of the matter is this,
Yes the methods to sell the art sucks, yes selling the art sucks, but the university needs cash now, and property sales aren't enough to fund the various issues within the campus.
@rezynezy Your protest that "this isn't self-owning" is itself another example of self-ownership. Yes, you cannot love art and be a Valpo student for four or more years and never visit or even know where the art center and museum are located, especially since the VUCA is in the center of campus, as large and obvious as possible, across from the Chapel of the Resurrection, next to the student union, and contains classrooms. Additionally, you cannot be a Valpo person who really loves art and not know Georgia O'Keeffe or that her painting is the signature artwork of the museum, as seen in the university promotion video I included previously.
As for Richard Brauer, and your ludicrous comment that "this is the first you are hearing about this supposedly esteemed gentleman": the damn museum is named after him! You actually state the following and don't see self-owning in it: "You also speak towards the community praise for Richard Brauer, where is it? I surely have not heard any praise towards this man."
Further self-owning on your part when you also declare "the older generation have not cared to acknowledge him either." Members of the Valparaiso city community, including the Urschel family, insisted the museum be named after him as a stipulation of funding it. The university readily agreed and has repeatedly honored Brauer, even including his purchase of the artworks in question among the university's own list of most important objects on campus, "artifacts that represent defining moments in this University’s history."
Your protest that "this isn't self-owning" is itself another example of self-ownership. Yes, you cannot love art and be a Valpo student for four or more years and never visit or even know where the art center and museum are located, especially since the VUCA is in the center of campus, as large and obvious as possible, across from the Chapel of the Resurrection, next to the student union, and contains classrooms. Additionally, you cannot be a Valpo person who really loves art and not know Georgia O'Keeffe or that her painting is the signature artwork of the museum, as seen in the university promotion video I included previously.
As for Richard Brauer, and your ludicrous comment that "this is the first you are hearing about this supposedly esteemed gentleman": the damn museum is named after him! You actually state the following and don't see self-owning in it: "You also speak towards the community praise for Richard Brauer, where is it? I surely have not heard any praise towards this man."
Further self-owning on your part when you also declare "the older generation have not cared to acknowledge him either." Members of the Valparaiso city community, including the Urschel family, insisted the museum be named after him as a stipulation of funding it. The university readily agreed and has repeatedly honored Brauer, even including his purchase of the artworks in question among the university's own list of most important objects on campus, "artifacts that represent defining moments in this University’s history."
OK this entire comment is ludicrous. Telling someone they cant love art because they didn't visit 1 museum is really entitled and frankly out of touch. Did I claim not to know Georgia O'Keefe? Did I claim that I did not know that the piece was a significant piece in the museum? I did not know of the pieces until the controversy, I will give you that, but that does not imply that I am unaware of who Georgia O'Keefe is. Implying as such is really snobby. I guess I am going to have to tell my mother that she is not a fan of art considering by your logic you think she is not a "true art fan" after 4 years at VU never having seen the art museum.
As for my "ludicrous" comment about Brauer, I again ask as to where the praise for the man is. A structure can be named after a person or thing and someone not know a shred of knowledge about the person. How many people do you think care to look up any information about Captain Porter? or the Valparaiso Moraine? That does not discount the fact that the name of our county and our city are drawn off of this person and this landmass. Am I not a true Valpo resident if I cannot recite the history of the Valparaiso Moraine. Am I not a true Porter County resident if I cannot tell the tales of Capitan Porter's conquests in Chile? Do I need to know the history of David Butterfield if I wish to rent out the pavilion at the fairgrounds?
Cool Urschel said that the museum should be dedicated to him, I still ask where the praise is from the community as a whole, not just the founder of Urschel Labs. One man does not make up a community. Or where the older generations are telling the younger generations of Richard Brauer. Also, something be viewed as significant and important while also being mired in controversy. Just look at most piecies of art held in the "British Museum" these pieces are viewed as significant and important, but their methods of attainment by the British are too mired in controversy. Up until recently the acquisition of these pieces was also praised! Much like the O'Keefe painting.
As for me, I guess I must move out to places unknown or delete my account if I cannot call myself a "true Valpo resident" or a "true Valpo fan" if I do not know of one person who as been relatively unspoken of by the community until the start of this controversy
I suggest slowing things down here just a bit. If @valpo64 graduated in 1964 it would not be unusual not to know much about the Brauer Collection / Museum whatsoever.
The VU Center for the Arts did not open until 1995 - it was under construction when I was a student. I did not get to visit the newly-named Museum until I returned as an alum. As for the collection, it was dispersed throughout campus and the O'Keeffe used to hang in the Dean's office at Mueller Hall. Even now, only a small fraction of the Brauer collection is on display at the Museum.
In a sense, we should be grateful that Richard Brauer purchased a painting 60-some years ago for $5700 that is now worth $10-15million by itself or we would not be having these questions.
The present administration has an incredibly difficult problem, and is trying to find a way forward for the good of the whole University.
@rezynezy First off, I was not referencing you when I mentioned "a Valpo student for four or more years and never visit or even know where the art center and museum are located." I know you are not a Valpo grad. Others on here who are alums have made such comments, as well as not knowing of Georgia O'Keeffe (there are two f's) until this controversy, yet claimed to "love art."
And I won't bring mothers into our discussions, as you did; however, I do believe anyone who spent four years on the Valparaiso campus in the past 30 years and never visited the Brauer Art Museum is not "a true art fan," as you phrase it. Imagine someone on the VU campus for four years during the same time span who claims to love college basketball but never watched a Valpo game or even knew of Homer Drew except as the named signature on the court.
Cripe, I graduated in 1984, and had no clue of the artwork at Valparaiso University. I'm not an O'Keefe fan but more fond of Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh.
Am I an art connesseur? No. Do I appreciate it and love going to the Art Institute of Chicago? Totally.
I am also a fan of seeing Valparaiso staying open and growing.
BTW, how is this Brauer dude the Messiah of Valpo? Ginger Zee and Homer Drew have higher recognition. And wouldn't Brauer want to see the university stay afloat, or keep a museum under his name in tact?
@valpopal I used an example that fit your description. Not "bringing mothers into this" she is just an example that fit your narrative. I think that it is frankly quite snobby and elitist to call someone "not a true art fan" because they did not visit a museum (a museum that was not advertised for many many years). Gatekeeping is not a good practice. Especially in communities such as art.
@valpopal I used an example that fit your description. Not "bringing mothers into this" she is just an example that fit your narrative. I think that it is frankly quite snobby and elitist to call someone "not a true art fan" because they did not visit a museum (a museum that was not advertised for many many years). Gatekeeping is not a good practice. Especially in communities such as art.
In addition to its excellent permanent collection, the Brauer Museum has had traveling exhibitions of some of the most famous art from around the world throughout its existence. If someone were a student on campus in the past 30 years and never visited the museum, clearly that person is not a devoted fan of art. That is not "snobby"; it is just a fact.
Also, why do you repeatedly make unfounded claims, such as suggesting "the museum was not advertised for many many years"? The Brauer Museum of Art has had a consistent record of advertising its exhibitions and series since the beginning in 1995. Every show was promoted through posters around campus, articles locally in the Torch and the NWI Times, previously the Vidette-Messenger, and elsewhere, such as the Chicago Tribune. Additionally, radio promotions and interviews with museum folks were broadcast on WVLP, the Valparaiso community station. Each new show began with an opening celebration to which the community was invited, featuring refreshments and sometimes live music.
Slick booklets advertising each new show have always been distributed around campus and sent to art patrons on the museum mailing list. I am looking at one that happens to be on my desk that was circulated in 1999 for an exhibition titled "In Quest of Beauty." Further, you can go to the following link and find pdfs of some of the booklets going from 2011 to the pandemic year of 2020.
https://www.valpo.edu/brauer-museum-of-art/exhibitions/
Additionally, the Brauer Museum was among the early advertisers on various social media, including YouTube. For instance, here is a clip from 13 years ago.
Finally, here is a promotion from Lakeshore Public Television, specifically focusing on the O'Keeffe painting:
USC, a word to the wise:
”When you get the sale, stop talking.”
The decision has been made. Common sense has prevailed. It’s over. The sooner you stop replying to pal, the sooner he’ll stop beating a dead horse. 😉
@whvalpovalpovalpo - ok, I get it, but the snobs who want Valpo to go under despite having 4997 pieces of art if the sale goes through makes me eyes roll.
next we will hear from my favorite creative writing major whining that Valpo is becoming a prep school.
I am not making unfounded claims pal. In all my 20 years on this earth I have not seen any media related to brauer that wasn't directly related to this controversy. Not even my alumni family members can remember advertising for it. I also saw mention that the O'Keefe painting wasn't even displayed in the museum but rather another space for a number of years. Your experience many be different, but more modernly, there has been sip, zilch, nada, related to this supposedly great museum that all art heads need to see to be taken seriously. On campus could be different, but the general public has been largely kept in thr dark about this pinnacle of art you so claim needs to be viewed.
Regardless of what you may believe it is rude, Snobby, and entitled to claim that devoted art fans need to view this museum to be called devoted art fans.
@valpopal I don't have much to add to your argument, but I just wanted to let your know you're not going crazy and that I, and many others I know that do not participate in this board, agree with you. I refute the premise that one could have attended Valpo and never heard of the Brauer Art Museum and consider themselves "an enjoyer of art". I am FAR from an art person, hardly know the first thing about art history or what goes into art. In fact, I never even attended Valparaiso University. Despite all that, I had heard of Richard Brauer on numerous occasions way before this art fiasco, I know who Georgia O'Keefe is, and I knew that Valpo's collection is especially impressive for a college collection, let alone for VU's size. It is one of VU's most marketable tangible features. Even at the university I did attend, I never attended the art museum but I knew the name of it, where it was located, and what major collections they had.
By the way, I attended a well respected, well funded school and graduated recently. Our freshman dorms SUCKED. They were miserable in every way possible. I have seen VUs dorms, they are bad, but every school I toured (all large/well funded schools, both public and private) save for maybe 1 had disappointing freshman dorms that were on the same level. What do you think made these school's good? I can attest first hand it wasn't the dorms. They invest in enriching experiences for their students. They invest in ways that differentiate their schools from others in ways that will be beneficial to the student. Having exposure to world-renowned artists on such an intimate campus is something few other schools can say. Having nice freshman dorms is something other schools can say, and one that was not weighed heavily by my family or peers when selecting a college in the last 10 years. Not everybody is going to be interested in that art or find it enriching, but having a variety of such high caliber exposure opportunities across numerous fields (arts, engineering, meteorology, nursing; to name a few good programs at VU) is what is going to make VU attractive.
Lost in all of this is that they are trading an appreciating asset (5k to now 15 MILLION) for paint and drywall that might attract a handful more students AT ABSOLUTE MOST per year. Does that sound like a sound investment? What other asset does the university have that has that sort of on paper-ROI?
Not to mention the fact that it violates a very clear agreement with the original trust and they are openly flaunting the lack of respect for it and attempt at finding a loophole. What kind of message does that send to future donors to the university? It certainly isn't a trust-builder.
I have stayed out of this debate largely because I am not a huge VU supporter outside of athletics, so I simply don't care enough and I don't intend to keep fighting back against the clear majority opinion of this board. The only tie I have to the school is that I grew up going to all the home basketball games. I didn't go there and I live out of state now, but remain a huge Valpo Athletics fan. I just wanted to make you @valpopal know that I understand where you are coming from and the majority of people I know (keywords I KNOW, I know my bias) in the Valpo community agree.
