Rep. Mike Reynolds today sent a letter to University of Oklahoma President David Boren, formally asking for the university to clarify the circumstances of Emily Neff’s sudden resignation on Oct. 15, 2014, just one day after Reynolds requested clarifications regarding the university’s public position regarding a case involving an 1886 Camille Pissarro oil painting stolen by Nazis in 1941 from a prominent French family, the Meyers.
“Emily Neff’s sudden resignation on October 15, 2014, just one day after my committee’s inquiries into the museum’s possession of La Bergere, a Pissarro painting stolen by the Nazis in 1941 from the Meyers, certainly raises sufficient concerns for this committee to look into the circumstances of both Emily Neff’s tenure at the Fred Jones Museum and her involvement in this case, as well as the circumstances of her departure,” said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City.
Reynold’s letter further requests that the University of Oklahoma communicates documents pertaining to:
– Emily Neff’s involvement in the Meyer case while she was the head of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art;
– The resignations of Emily Neff and of Ghislain d’Humieres, the previous director of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, as he resigned less than two months after a lawsuit against the University of Oklahoma was filed on May 9, 2013 by Leone Meyer demanding the restitution of La Bergere;
– Communications with Ghislain d’Humieres regarding the recommendations from Annette Schlagenhauff, Associated Curator for Research at Indianapolis Museum of Art, who advised the University in 2010 to contact Leone Meyer about La Bergere.
“If reputable museum leaders, such as Emily Neff, are unable to accomplish their professional responsibilities at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, the public, including both taxpayers and potential donors, should have significant questions or concerns that need to be addressed and resolved about the viability, credibility and the professional environment of this museum,” Reynolds said. “The very credibility of a flagship public institution of the state is on the line.”
He may have a point, but on my list of Things to Get Really Exercised About, this is about 389th. Mike, baby, focus on stuff that is a little higher up the food chain of issues, like taxes, family breakup, welfare and things like that.
He can’t … He’s a politician
Oh, yeah . . . Dang. I forgot.
Yeah, who cares about the restitution of mere art stolen by the Nazis from Jews and that the University of Oklahoma refuses to restore these useless cultural treasures to families that have suffered unimaginable losses? It’s just art, and it was all such a long time ago and so far away; and these little injustices really can’t compare to the terrible burdens that so many more good red-blooded Americans suffer, like having to pay taxes for luxuries like roads and schools and disaster relief, and to support the poor and infirm, and other dumb stuff like that.