The auction of the three most valuable paintings in the collection of the Brauer Museum of Art at Valparaiso University appears to be edging forward after Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office said in a Friday court filing that it would not object to the sale, with the expected proceeds from millions of dollars in artwork going to renovate freshmen dorms and establish a gallery for them. in Porter Superior Court on May 28 seeking to modify a trust established by the late Percy H. Sloan, which provided the paintings or the funding for them, to allow for the sale.
The paintings are “Mountain Landscape” by Frederic E. Church; “Rust Red Hills” by Georgia O’Keeffe; and “The Silver Veil and Golden Gate” by Frederick Childe Hassam. According to appraisals received by the university, the fair market value of the O’Keeffe is estimated at $10.
5 million to $15 million; the Hassam, between $1 million and $3.5 million; and the Church at $1 million to $3 million. “The Attorney General has received and reviewed many documents and other information from the University and those in the Valparaiso community opposed to the sale in the months leading up to this Petition and has conducted additional research on the gift and the constraints placed upon it pursuant to the Gift Agreement, Will, and Trust,” the office’s filing states.
“The Attorney General does not object to the University’s requested relief as outlined in its Petition.” Valparaiso University Pre.