JAMESTOWN – A Large number of people are expected to be on hand Thursday at the James Prendergast Library when its board of trustees is expected to act on deaccessioning several pieces of valuable artwork.
The library board has been discussing the possibility of selling some of its artwork for the past several months.
Library executive director Tina Scott has said the sale is necessary to help close a looming $90,000 budget gap for this year and a $180,000 shortfall in 2016. The plan is to auction artwork and place the money into an endowment, which would then generate revenue on an annual basis for the library. The total value of the Prendergast Art Collection is an estimated $3.17 million.
Much of the collection includes 19th and early 20th century paintings by artists from America and Europe that were gifted to the library by various residents, including the Prendergast family. In addition, some of the paintings were purchased with money from the Prendegast estate as a bequest from Mary Prendergast, more than 100 years ago.
Scott has also told WRFA that currently, the board does not have a final list to act on and will likely discuss that list during today’s meeting, and then act on it.
Two pieces of artwork in the Prendergast collection that could be auctioned in the coming months: Left: “Industry” by French artist Eugene Romain Thirion – painted in 1874.
Right: “Sleep, Baby, Sleep” by French artist Leon Bazile Perrault, painted in 1884.
Both are from a collection of 32 paintings given to the library at the bequest of the Prendergast family.
The decision to sell off the artwork is a controversial one and several members of the community have spoken out against the plan. On Monday night Jamestown Residents and opponents of the sale Lily Grice and Dianne Soule addressed the Jamestown City Council in order to make sure city leaders were aware of the controversy.
City Council President Greg Rabb says that while the city has earmarked an estimated $340,000 for the library this year, he doubts the city will take a side in the controversy.
“The largest amount of money from our budget to something other than a city operation goes to the library, but we have no control over who’s on the board and the decisions they make,” Rabb said. “I don’t know if the council will vote to make a recommendation to the library. I just couldn’t tell you. We obviously listened to [Grice and Soule], but we didn’t really discuss it and I’m sure at some point we will, to see if we should say something to [the library].”
Rabb did add, however, that he is personally against the sale.
As for today’s meeting, Grice is encouraging anyone who has an interest in preserving the library’s art collection to attend today’s meeting.
“We want as many people there as possible. You don’t have to say anything, you can just be there,” Grice said. “The more people we have there in support of what we’re doing to save this art, the better. We don’t even know what decisions we can change at this point, but we just want as many people there as possible.”
Thursday’s meeting begins at 12:15 p.m. at the library and is open to the public.
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