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Rose family: University violated donor will
by Alana Abramson
Staff writer
News | 4/28/09
Posted online at 8:11 AM EST on 4/28/09
A portion of the will of Edward Rose, a benefactor of the Rose Art Museum, expresses his wish for the Rose to remain open as the only public art museum at Brandeis, a relative of the Rose family told the Justice.
The part of the will concerning the Rose Art Museum, which Fred Hopengarten, a lawyer related to Edward Rose, read verbatim over the phone to the Justice, states, "Brandeis; has agreed that the Rose Art Museum will be maintained in perpetuity as the only art museum at Brandeis and that Brandeis' permanent collection of works of art by major artists will be housed and exhibited in the Rose Art Museum."
Meryl Rose, a relative of the Rose family and a member of the Rose Art Museum Board of Overseers, said in a phone interview with the Justice that she found out about the will in February. She added that the Rose family had publicized the will in its statement against the administrations' actions towards the museum that was read out on March 16.
Judith Sizer, the University's general counsel, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that Brandeis was aware of the will and that she believed the University had complied with it.
"None of the conditions set forth in Mr. Rose's will, specifically that the art museum be maintained under their name as the sole art museum on the Brandeis campus and that the museum's permanent collection be kept and exhibited there, is in any way a limitation on the ability of Brandeis to manage the daily operations of the Rose Art Museum within those parameters. Subject to these conditions, Mr. and Mrs. Rose left it to the University to make decisions about the nature, mission, and activities of the Museum," she wrote.
However, Meryl Rose also said that she does not believe the University's actions, despite its expressed intentions to keep the Rose open as a public museum, have been in accordance with the will. "Up until this latest notice that went out, the University was going to turn it into a student art center. When it became apparent that they couldn't do that, now they are trying to turn it into a museum. But, you know, there are certain things inherent to running a museum that they are not doing, the first of which is getting rid of its director," she said. "The administration has not changed what they are planning on doing since the beginning. This is all about selling art, so they are removing the people protective of this collection," Rose said.
The part of the will concerning the Rose Art Museum, which Fred Hopengarten, a lawyer related to Edward Rose, read verbatim over the phone to the Justice, states, "Brandeis; has agreed that the Rose Art Museum will be maintained in perpetuity as the only art museum at Brandeis and that Brandeis' permanent collection of works of art by major artists will be housed and exhibited in the Rose Art Museum."
Meryl Rose, a relative of the Rose family and a member of the Rose Art Museum Board of Overseers, said in a phone interview with the Justice that she found out about the will in February. She added that the Rose family had publicized the will in its statement against the administrations' actions towards the museum that was read out on March 16.
Judith Sizer, the University's general counsel, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that Brandeis was aware of the will and that she believed the University had complied with it.
"None of the conditions set forth in Mr. Rose's will, specifically that the art museum be maintained under their name as the sole art museum on the Brandeis campus and that the museum's permanent collection be kept and exhibited there, is in any way a limitation on the ability of Brandeis to manage the daily operations of the Rose Art Museum within those parameters. Subject to these conditions, Mr. and Mrs. Rose left it to the University to make decisions about the nature, mission, and activities of the Museum," she wrote.
However, Meryl Rose also said that she does not believe the University's actions, despite its expressed intentions to keep the Rose open as a public museum, have been in accordance with the will. "Up until this latest notice that went out, the University was going to turn it into a student art center. When it became apparent that they couldn't do that, now they are trying to turn it into a museum. But, you know, there are certain things inherent to running a museum that they are not doing, the first of which is getting rid of its director," she said. "The administration has not changed what they are planning on doing since the beginning. This is all about selling art, so they are removing the people protective of this collection," Rose said.
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