Fisk to Appeal Judge's Order to Show O'Keeffe Collection

NASHVILLE—Fisk University has said it will appeal a judge's order to display an art collection donated to it by Georgia O'Keeffe because the order threatens the safekeeping of the collection, reports the Associated Press.

The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in New Mexico had sued to gain rights to the 101-piece collection because of Fisk's attempts to sell works not currently on display. Last month, Nashville Cancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle permanently banned the sale of any works in the collection and said Fisk must retrieve those that are in storage and put them on display by October. The collection is valued at $100 million and includes work by O'Keeffe, Picasso, Renoir, and Cezanne.

Fisk put the works in storage in 2005 amid fears that they would be damaged because of the gallery's deteriorating condition.

The university said in a statement, "The court's order (in March) results in the inevitable deterioration of the collection. Prudence requires that we appeal the court's order to maintain the art in a manner consistent with contemporary conservation methods.''