The University of New Mexico Art Museum (UNMAM) has created a scandal for the Art Department after a Center for the Arts janitor, Henry Robinson, stumbled upon millions of dollars worth of Pistol Pete art last Monday.
“I was looking for some old supplies that we used to keep in a shared space, and when I opened that door, all this Pistol Pete crap came falling on me,” Robinson said. “That’s gotta be a safety violation.”
The UNMAM has denied any involvement with the storage closet and its contents. UNMAM Director Anna Lyre has said that she does not believe it exists.
“Obviously I keep a close eye on everything the museum has, so if we did have a storage closet like that, I would know about it,” Lyre said.
When asked about the upcoming exhibits, Lyre said that she cannot be expected to keep track of everything the museum is doing. Coordinator of Unauthorized Pieces Jo Mana declined to comment on the matter.
New Mexico State University’s Art Museum has spoken out in a collective statement composed by Director Les Than.
“Unlike UNM, we have never had to make a statement regarding the relationship status of our mascots. Apparently, they want what we have,” Than said.
The area around the storage site has been sectioned off from the rest of the building due to a mess the art created when it fell.
If not for the safety goggles he always wears, Robinson said he would have scratched his eye.
“It’s one thing to hoard the rival school’s mascot drawn in different suggestive poses on multiple different mediums – it’s another thing to not practice safe storage,” Robinson said.
UNM Art Department Professor Jack Scott has appraised the art at around $3.5 million. He said that most of the pieces would have had to be commissioned.
“The sheer volume of pieces is really what makes it worth so much,” Scott said. “I’m surprised they have the money for this but not the money to subscribe to my Patreon.”
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Due to the proximity to the Student Union Building, the Associated Students at the University of New Mexico (ASUNM) Judicial Branch will try the case. ASUNM put out this official statement a day after the discovery.
“Wait, there’s an Art Museum on campus?” the statement read.
This story is currently unfolding. It will update when the case finally goes to court after nine months or when the Art Museum loses its funding for “a proliferation of fanart on the University’s dime,” according to the most recent President’s Weekly Perspective.
Marcela Johnson is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
Marcela Johnson is a senior reporter for the Daily Lobo, and the editor-in-chief of Limina: UNM Nonfiction Review.
