Fisk, GO'K Museum settle, befuddle

The Tennessean's Jonathan Marx has the news: Fisk University and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum have reached a deal. I don't think I've ever seen a weirder agreement -- each bullet point in Marx's story slowed me down and made me think: Wha?!

In short, the GO'KM will buy Radiator Building for $7.5 million and loan it to Fisk four months out of every four years. And if the GO'KM ever sells the painting, Fisk gets half of the sale price. (If that isn't inviting a bid...) Then there's this, from Marx's story:

The museum will lend Radiator Building to Fisk for four months every four years. When the painting is not at Fisk, the museum will provide a high-quality reproduction to be displayed with the rest of the Stieglitz Collection.

Which is bizarre, but not as bizarre as this quote from a Fisk spokesman (who, when I was working on a magazine story earlier this year, returned precisely zero of at least 15 calls): "Because of the university's financial position, if the settlement doesn't go through, it does mean Fisk could cease to exist." Really? Seven-and-a-half million dollars is the do-or-die amount? I'm not sure how credible that is.

And, obviously, that Radiator Building sale provision wouldn't be in the contract unless...