The director of the Norman Rockwell Museum is defending the Berkshire Museum’s board of trustees – despite coming out against that museum’s plan to sell two Rockwell works to fund an expansion and endowment plan.
In July, Laurie Norton Moffatt called on the Berkshire Museum to pause the sale of 40 objects from the museum’s collection – including two Norman Rockwell works – that have been deemed no longer essential to the museum’s programming. The 40 objects are expected to sell for $50 million.
Since then, national museum associations, other local cultural institutions, artists, and educators have agreed with Norton Moffatt’s critique. They’re organized on a Facebook group with more than 1,100 members.
Norton Moffatt posted in the group Monday, saying calling out individual trustees on the Berkshire Museum board needs to stop, because they are still doing a public service.
As for the plan, the Berkshire Museum maintains it won’t pause the sale.
