The Art Institute is selling 300 works that, having fallen under the aegis of a museum, are not held in the public trust for present and future generations and will not cause potential donors to ask themselves "Why should I give this to you? What guarantee do I have that you're not going to sell this tomorrow?"
It's really a fortunate thing that museums do not hold works in the public trust and so are able to make these kinds of sales when necessary.
UPDATE: It's a deaccessioning "spree."
