"Somehow, the museum version of the 'public trust' doctrine provides that artworks protected by the public trust cannot be sold unless it is convenient."

"It is telling that the legal scholars who have considered this argument have been ... unsympathetic. And that proponent of the 'public trust' argument tend to respond to criticism by raising their voices."

Brian Frye gears up for a panel discussion on the Detroit "grand bargain" with some thoughts on the state of the deaccession debate.