Appeals court rules Georgia O’Keeffe Museum has no right to Fisk University art collection

Court: O’Keeffe museum has no right to Fisk U. art

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled that the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum has no right to an art collection the painter donated to Fisk University 50 years ago.

The court acknowledged in a ruling filed Tuesday that O’Keeffe placed certain conditions on the gift of 101 works of art but said any right she had to most of those works ended when she died.

The financially struggling university first asked a lower court for permission to sell two paintings and later asked to share the collection with an Arkansas museum.

The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum objected, saying Fisk’s plan violated a condition that the works be displayed together. The court rejected the contention that the art should go to the O’Keeffe museum, which represents the painter’s estate.