Today’s Staff Editorial
The Internet erupted on Nov. 19, 2012. University President Wallace Loh had just announced the university’s move to the Big Ten athletic conference. Observers initially screamed in outcry, and the national eye was trained briefly on this university.
Now there’s a far less controversial deal in the works that Loh says could be even more important than that move: a possible partnership with the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
At first glance, the news seems humdrum. Another partnership with some Washington institution? OK.
But this editorial board took a closer look at the partnership and had a hard time finding anything controversial. If the university and the Corcoran decide by the end of the summer to enter a mutually beneficial partnership, we’d have access to its more than 17,000 art pieces. The university would “gain a physical footprint” — a Loh phrase you’ll hear repeatedly in the coming months — in Washington. And perhaps most importantly, such a partnership would seriously improve the arts and humanities programs at this university.
In an age of frequent cries about the end of arts education, this university could have a hand in saving a national landmark and one of America’s oldest fine arts galleries. Severe fiscal problems in 2012 spurred desperate talks about possibly moving the Corcoran elsewhere after occupying its Beaux-Arts building for more than 100 years. The museum saw a rise in fundraising in the fall, and partnering with the university would greatly help the Corcoran get out from under $130 million of renovation costs.
This editorial board wholeheartedly endorses this partnership and encourages the university and the Corcoran to seal the deal. Anyone affiliated with either institution should, too — this partnership could permanently transform the university’s national reputation.
The latest U.S. News & World Report evaluations place this school at No. 58 in the country overall and No. 19 among public universities. The geochemistry program is No. 7 nationwide, quantum physics is No. 9, and computer science is No. 14. There are dozens of similar science rankings.
The ranking for fine arts? A paltry 82. That’s the single lowest ranking for any of this university’s programs among the published list. There’s no excuse for such a drastic gap in our university’s programs. Sure, we’ve got the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, but clearly our fine arts offerings are severely worse than those of competing universities.
But climbing the fine arts rankings is hardly the most exciting aspect of this partnership. Imagine even a fraction of those thousands of Corcoran art pieces hanging in Stamp Student Union or McKeldin Library. Imagine the wonder that could be sparked in prospective students. Imagine the inspiration for fine arts students when seeing the work of previous generations of artists all around them.
In a statement this week, Harry Hopper, chairman of the Corcoran’s trustees board, conveyed his excitement to partner with this university, which he called “one of the nation’s most successful educational institutions.” And Ford Bell, president of the American Alliance of Museums, labeled this university an “educational and cultural powerhouse.”
Even if detractors think those statements are overblown now, this partnership could offer a bright future and national presence for the campus. Alongside the Big Ten move and the university’s already-praised science and engineering programs, this partnership would help cement Loh’s vision of constant improvement and innovation.
William Wilson Corcoran dedicated the Corcoran Gallery of Art to “encouraging American genius.” Now, almost 150 years later, this university can help achieve that lofty goal.
