Fisk and O’Keeffe Museum Headed to Trial

It looks as though Fisk University and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe will actually make it to trial next week after years of litigation. A Davidson County judge has rejected a settlement over the school’s famed art collection.

The agreement would have allowed the school to sell one of O’Keeffe’s paintings to the museum for a discounted price of 7.5-million dollars. Another by Marsden Hartley would have been allowed to sell on the open market, turning the 101-piece Stieglitz Collection into 99.

Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ruled that breaking up the collection was not part of O’Keeffe’s wishes when she donated it to Fisk in 1949. And in light of a recent 30-million dollar offer from a Bentonville, Arkansas-museum to share the entire collection with the school, Lyle concluded the museum settlement wasn’t lucrative enough.

Fisk spokesman Ken West says the school hasn’t yet talked to the Crystal Bridges Museum, founded by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton.

“First things first. We have to get through our trial date of September 18th and see what the results of that trial date are. Then we’ll be in a position to make a decision at that time.”

West says he was surprised by the rejection of the settlement but says the outcome could benefit the school.

The only issue left for trial, however, is whether the entire collection should revert to the O’Keeffe museum because it hasn’t been adequately cared for. Fisk has held the paintings in storage for years, but Chancellor Lyle – in her ruling – explained that the school has a likelihood of holding on to the collection…and she would know. She’s the judge deciding next week’s case.