North Attleboro school officials agree to meet selectmen over Afghans

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NORTH ATTLEBORO - Curiosity won out in the end as the school committee narrowly voted to meet with selectmen next week to discuss the "Afghans" painting.

The school committee voted 4 to 3 in favor of setting up a subcommittee to meet with selectmen on March 12 to discuss how the proceeds will be used if the town ever decides to sell its Alexandre Iacovleff painting. The painting, which is being stored at Sotheby's auction house, was once valued at more than $1 million.

"I'm curious to see if anything could come out of this meeting," Superintendent Rick Smith said.

School committee member Anthony Calcia strongly advocated for accepting the invitation to meet with selectmen.

"I think we should attend the meeting. There's no downside to being there," he said. "It is due diligence in a matter which has been dragging on and on."

Smith said that the school department has made efforts to bring the issue to resolution. He pointed out that it took selectmen a full year to respond to a school committee letter about the painting.

"This board has done everything it should do," he said.

School committee Chairman David Manoogian will appoint the committee later this week, but said the two key school people who have been involved in the issue - Manoogian himself and Smith - will not be on it. Manoogian's term will be up in April and he is not running for re-election, while Smith is retiring the same month.

Assistant Superintendent James Rice, who takes over for Smith in April, will be the chairman of the subcommittee, Manoogian said.

School committee members William Kummer, Christopher Frost and Manoogian voted against meeting with selectmen, mainly because they felt a vote to sell the painting should come first. While the majority of the school committee are in favor of selling the masterpiece, selectmen have blocked the sale by voting against it.

"I personally believe until the board of selectmen votes to sell it, there's nothing to talk about," Manoogian said. "Why put a lot of time into a trust agreement if they vote 3-2 or 5-0 against selling it."

The painting was donated in 1951 when W. Charles Thompson hung it on the wall of what is now the Community School. Thompson's family is opposed to the sale of the painting but has also been invited to the March 12 selectmen's meeting to discuss the trust fund.

It has been suggested that the proceeds from the sale of the painting would be used to support arts programs. However, with the faltering economy, Manoogian suggested now may not be the time to sell the painting anyway.

"Art is not immune from the worldwide recession," he said. "Art prices are down 20 to 30 percent. It may not be in our best interest to put it on the market at this time."

 

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