With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
School Faces Dilemma on Valuable Art
Listen
0:00
Listen
In an elementary school in North Attleboro, Mass., a large painting of an Afghan tribesman has hung for decades in the school's auditorium. It turns out that picture is worth millions of dollars.
So now, the school system must decide whether it will display the painting in accordance with the wishes of its donor — or sell it.
Michelle Norris talks with Rick Smith, the North Attleboro Superintendent of Schools, who says the school system sent information about the painting to Sotheby's auction house for an estimate. Smith expected to hear that the old painting was worth around $1,000.
But it turned out that the 7-by-10-foot painting was a masterpiece painted by Russian Alexandre Iacovleff, called "Afghans." Iacovleff lived from 1887 to 1938.
Sponsored message
"They would expect it to sell for between 1 and 2 million dollars," Smith says. "It's not our mission to collect and store art. You'd have to insure it, and no insurance company is gonna do that if it's in a building in which it would never be secure."
Besides, Smith says, the painting is a piece of Russia's heritage. And it belongs in a museum, he adds, not a dark school hall.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
