UPDATED: 3:25 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11
By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
The Salina Public Library made a decision in June that sparked public outrage four months later when the community saw two Birger Sandzen paintings up for auction.
Earlier this year, SPL began considering options for its two Sandzen paintings after discovering the impact of the artworks' insurance costs and their deteriorating status.
"The library is not equipped to maintain fine art," SPL said in a press release. "Realizing that the paintings would continue to deteriorate in our care, we considered the options and consulted with the Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery regarding our questions."
The Salina Post contacted SPL for comment in addition to the release, and there was no response.
The library held an open meeting at 7 a.m. on June 20 to discuss the potential sales, and its minutes reported no one from the public attended that meeting.
Susan Hawksworth, director of the Smoky Hill Museum, said the library did not consult the museum about the paintings earlier this year.
"The first I heard about it was Monday," Hawksworth said.
Hawksworth reported that when SPL and the Smoky Hill Museum split decades ago, there were questions about who the two Birger paintings belonged to. Ultimately, they belonged to the library's collections.
Ron Michael, the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery director in Lindsborg, said SPL approached the gallery about the paintings in mid-March, looking for options.
The Memorial Gallery described a few possibilities for the library to consider, including donating the works to the gallery or exploring various options for sale.
Michael said SPL likely acquired the paintings in the early 1900s when Sandzen worked as a professor at Bethany College in Lindsborg and continued to paint his surroundings.
"Sandzen was really interested in getting his artwork out into the community," Michael said. "He tried to get them placed in schools and other public institutions."
After Sandzen attended an art exhibition in 1911 in McPherson, his art spread further in the area, making its way to Salina.
Dirk Soulis Auctions intends to finalize the pieces' auctions on the Live Auctioneer's website on Saturday, and according to the library's release, there is no way to legally pull out of the contract without facing financial ramifications.
The Salina, Kansas Vintage Photos, Descriptions, and Shared Memories Facebook group began a community-led petition to support keeping the paintings at SPL. Ruth Ascher reached out to the group community yesterday, encouraging action from the other members.
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Orignial Post made: 10/11/2023 at 10:45 a.m.
The Salina Post is following up with sources pertaining to this story and will post updated information as it becomes available.
Submitted by Salina Public Library
The Salina Public Library (SPL) recently learned there are concerns related to the sale of Sandzén art owned by the library and currently under contract for auction.
SPL works to provide the best possible service to the public.
As an entity that strives to serve our community, we are called to prioritize the best use of taxpayer funding for our services, resources, staff, and facilities.
It is our responsibility to spend our limited funds in a way that benefits the greatest needs, as expressed by the community we serve as a whole.
The library is not equipped to maintain fine art. SPL already needed to restore one of the paintings in our possession. Realizing that the paintings would continue to deteriorate in our care, we considered the options and consulted with the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery regarding our questions.
Our board discussed this issue over two board meetings (agendas linked below) and received no feedback from the public. The board voted unanimously to sell the paintings through a fine arts auction house that was recommended by the Sandzén Gallery.
Despite what many have stated, this decision was made months ago and with full information on the decision being made available to the public.
The meetings in which the matter was discussed can be found here:
May 16 Agenda May 16 Board Minutes
June 20 Agenda June 20 Board Minutes
SPL understands that this decision is not something everyone supports. However, many others support this decision.
We are under contract with the auction house handling the sale of the Sandzéns, and to break the contract would open the library to significant repercussions. Withdrawing the artwork from the auction is simply not an option, legally or otherwise.