Keep library painting in Chicago by selling it to a local institution

After reading “City plan to sell $15M painting slammed as questionable way to upgrade library,” it occurred to me that there is another way to handle this situation: sell the painting to another Chicago institution. Deaccessions from collections are frequently fraught with controversy, but sometimes they are necessary.

I understand the Chicago Public Library’s position in regard to properly securing “Knowledge and Wonder” by Kerry James Marshall. I also see where a regional library in the Legler location would be of great benefit to the area.

But should this painting leave Chicago? No. Chicago area museums should be given the chance to raise the $15 million to purchase the piece from Chicago Public Library, with the guarantee that the funds will be used to expand Legler. This has been done before to keep a work in a city. The Arts Club of Chicago arranged a private sale of its prized Brancusi sculpture to the Art Institute to fund its new building. In 2008, a citywide fund-raising campaign kept “The Gross Clinic” by Thomas Eakins in Philadelphia. In both cases, not only did the Arts Club and Thomas Jefferson University get their funds for their buildings, but also “The Kiss” by Brancusi and “The Gross Clinic” by Eakins actually were able to reach wider audiences in their respective cities.

Wouldn’t “Knowledge and Wonder” look great on the walls of the DuSable?

Sophia C. du Brul, Wilmette

Hypocrites all

The Brett Kavanaugh hearings have laid bare the racism of “conservatives” who have long advocated trying juveniles (including accused sex offenders) as adults when those juveniles were primarily young people of color. But the hearings have also laid bare the hypocrisy of “progressives” who have “lobbied [until now, apparently] to eliminate juvenile sex offender registries and the sentencing of adolescents as adults.”

In fact, what these hearings have really exposed is the hypocritical disingenuousness on BOTH sides. Principles? Integrity? Honor? What do those mean? It’s just a matter of whose ox is being gored.

David G. Whiteis, Humboldt Park

Proven liars

If being a proven liar is not disqualifying for Supreme Court appointment or election to president of the United States, have we all been relieved of the requirement of truthfulness? Will Sen. Susan Collins apologize when Brett Kavanaugh votes to overturn Roe v. Wade, or will she continue the cowardice she exhibited this afternoon?

John Powers, Rolling Meadows

Voting change

I used to be an independent voter, voting for whomever I felt was best for the office, regardless of political affiliation. However, in the aftermath of the Brett Kavanaugh debacle I have vowed to never, ever vote for a Republican again. A straight Democratic ticket for me from now on. This was an affront to every citizen who believes in gender equality.

Regina Gomory Crystal Lake

Good news

Recent storms along the East Coast and fires across the American West make it clear that climate change is the reality of today. The good news is that corporations, cities, and forward-looking utilities are leading the way on renewable energy and climate action.

At the end of 2017, more than half of the renewable energy purchase agreements held by corporate customers around the globe were here in the United States. Those U.S. deals represented almost 2.5 gigawatts of mostly wind power. In 2018, we have seen no sign of a slowdown. In fact, the appeal of renewables is spreading. In a sector previously dominated by tech companies, we now see large industrials, pharmaceuticals, hospitals, universities and cities driven by sustainability goals, looking for wind and solar power.

As energy storage becomes more widely available, offering benefits like avoiding peak energy costs, the appeal of renewable energy power purchase agreements will expand. As demand remains strong, new partnerships will emerge and alliances created to rise to the challenge of global climate change.

Rafael Esteban. CEO, ACCIONA Energy USA Global, Loop