Controversial Head of Art Acquisition Effort Quits : Lancaster: The artist says criticism aimed at her caused two donors to withdraw their works. The panel may be restructured.

The founder and head of Lancaster’s embattled art acquisition program, local artist Judy Schwabacher, angrily quit her post Wednesday night and the program was sent back to the drawing board.

Saying that she had been the subject of “ugly lies” and had been victimized by “unprofessional and unethical” city officials, Schwabacher resigned from the program that had been created last year to solicit art works for Lancaster’s public buildings.

Earlier this week at a City Council meeting, Schwabacher, who had been accused by members of the council of running the program in a secretive and imperial manner, lashed out at her critics. She told Vice Mayor William Pursley, who is also a real estate agent, to “stay in real estate and stay out of the art world.”

Schwabacher resigned at a meeting of the Lancaster Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission, which oversees the art acquisition program. Afterward she was consoled by supporters.

“I just can’t work with these people,” said Schwabacher, who seemed shaken but still feisty. “I am an artist and they do not understand art.”

The commission accepted her resignation and voted to discuss the possible restructuring of the program at the next monthly meeting. One proposal by Commissioner Charla Abbott called for at least two commissioners to administer the program instead of one.

Schwabacher also resigned as chairwoman of the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission but will remain on the panel.

The City Council had approved the art acquisition program last November. The aim was to obtain donated works from local artists and collectors to adorn public buildings such as the City Hall and the new Lancaster Performing Arts Center. Schwabacher, who makes busts and porcelain dolls in the likeness of local and national figures, was given the go-ahead to solicit the art.

But at last month’s meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission--at which Schwabacher was absent--two of the commissioners complained that she had taken sole control of the program and refused to share decisions. The director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department said he was concerned that Schwabacher was not properly storing the acquired art and that city regulations were not being followed.

The matter came to a head at the Monday council meeting when Schwabacher was supposed to formally present to the city the first three paintings acquired under the program. The paintings were displayed in council chambers.

But Schwabacher told the council that because of criticism that had been leveled at her, two of the paintings were being reclaimed by their donors.

After her speech, during which she demanded an apology from the council, she left the hall, taking the two withdrawn paintings with her.

On Wednesday, after Schwabacher resigned, members of the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission elected Monroe Pederson as the new chairman. He said he hoped that the art acquisition committee, once reformed, could move forward without further controversy.

“Hopefully, what we have done will make it possible for us to proceed with minimum difficulty,” Pederson said.