Founder of City’s Art Acquisition Program Quits

The founder and head of Lancaster’s embattled art acquisition program, 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. “I just can’t work with these people,” said Schwabacher. “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.