Pollock Painting May Be Safe

The University of Iowa has come out strongly for holding on to “Mural,” a Jackson Pollock masterpiece at the university’s Museum of Art. At a Board of Regents meeting in August, following floods that caused considerable damage to the campus, a regent raised the question of whether “Mural” might be sold to finance repairs, and asked the university to provide certain information about the painting and its impact. The painting is insured for $140 million, so there’s no doubt it could bring in serious cash. But a detailed report from the university argued against a sale. It said that, if it sold the painting, it would probably lose the museum’s accreditation, which would make it difficult to acquire or borrow works of art, and that future donors would be unlikely to give works of art to the university. A statement from David Miles, president of the Board of Regents, thanked the university for the information and said that the report “concludes the board’s inquiry into this matter.” Several universities have become embroiled in debates about whether it is legitimate to sell art received by their museums.