Albright College, a liberal arts institution in Reading, Pennsylvania, is selling its entire art collection of mostly works on paper to address a $20 million budget shortfall. The online-only sale, held on July 16 at Pook & Pook auction house, includes 524 lots featuring works by artists such as Karel Appel, Romare Bearden, Jasper Johns, Jacob Lawrence, and Bridget Riley. College administrators, including vice-president James Gaddy, describe the collection as "not core to our mission" and estimate the consigned pieces are worth $200,000, while the cost of maintaining the gallery and collection exceeds $500,000 annually. The sale is part of broader cost-cutting measures that have already included laying off 53 employees and selling non-contiguous properties.
This deaccessioning matters because it continues a troubling trend among US universities selling art collections to cover financial shortfalls, following similar actions by Brandeis University, Fisk University, Randolph College, and others. Critics argue such sales shortchange the educational experience for students and betray donor intent. The move comes amid severe federal funding cuts to higher education under the Trump administration and a wave of college closures—129 since 2016, including ten in Pennsylvania alone. The case highlights the growing financial pressures on small liberal arts colleges and raises ethical questions about whether art collections should be treated as liquid assets rather than educational resources.