First, as a member of TSC I would have been apalled that I was forgoing having a winter coat, adequate food for my children, or enough money to even pay for a hair cut when my tithing money was going to purchasing $350,000 paintings.

It looks like LDS inc cut a business owner out of a $100,000 comission. The gallery published and advertised the painting. When one signs a contract with an art gallery you have to pay the comission to whom the piece was advertised with. I know Tom Alder and Williams fine art. It is hands down, one of the best galleries in the state. They have single handedly driven the Utah Art market for some time.

There were definitely some dirty tricks here.


http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53408710-78/church-painting-gallery-powell.html.csp

"if there is anything lovely, virtuous or of good report, we seek after those things." and if we have to, we will steal them!

I wonder what Minerva would think of this story.
The church shunned her work because she was a woman, and a bit of a feminist. They didn't want to pay her anything, and did everything they could to get it for free. Eventually they realized she had some value.

They are still trying to steal her work.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2012 03:47PM by Mia.

How the hell do you figure that "the church shunned her work because she was a woman, and a bit of a feminist?" She did the murals in the Manti Temple for Christ's sake, and a mural for at least one chapel in the Star Valley of Wyoming.

Do you even know what the f*ck you are talking about?

That doesn't mean they paid her for it.

Remember a few years back, when Packer got the church to buy a series of Rembrandt prints?

Your tithes at work!

Made me think of members I knew while growing up, whose kids did not have adequate medical care or food.
Disgusting cult.

There is also that anecdote in D. Michael Quinn's book about the church president's daughter buying a Persian rug and charging it to the church.
Plus she collected the commission for furthering the sale.

Such things happen when there is no public accounting before the members.

Powell owned the painting and contracted with Alder to sell the painting. If Powell had been on the up and up, he would have told the church they had to go through Alder.

Chances are, the church offered Powell a better deal. Even if it's an extravagant purchase, the buyer is entitled to look for a better deal. Of course, if ChurchCo had more integrity, they would have asked about any agents. And they wouldn't have agreed to the shady paperwork with Powell.

But maybe Alder is suing ChurchCo because he didn't have anything in writing with Powell -- a big mistake.

There's one scenario where the Church COULD be sued. If they, or a representative, made the suggestion to the vendor of how they could save money by cutting the gallery out?