Exhibit dispute prompts college president to resign

Rosemont College President Ofelia Garcia resigned last week after learning that a few members of the college's board of trustees objected to an exhibit Garcia planned to bring to the school that features women's underwear. Trustee Margaret Healy has since been named interim president of Rosemont, a women's Catholic college nestled in the western Philadelphia suburbs. The exhibit, called "Foundations: Underwear/Under Where?", features various garments -- including bras, corsets and bikinis fashioned from such unconventional material as beer cans and paper mache. The trustees had only seen the brochure -- a striking pink and gray flyer with descriptions of the exhibits and a cut-out of a bra. Many expressed outrage that Garcia had agreed to house the exhibition at Rosemont, saying that it was not suitable for a women's college. But Garcia, previously president of the Atlanta College of Art and director of the Print Club in Philadelphia, said the exhibit motivates the viewer to question how society treats women. Therefore, she said, Rosemont would be an ideal setting. "I thought we were past these discussions over whether someone has the right to show something that is provocative," Garcia said. "But, sure enough, the discussion comes up and someone explodes because of it. It's quite disappointing." The board did not overturn Garcia's decision, since they respected her prerogative to maintain control over academic issues. Still, Garcia said she felt she could not adequately serve as president without the board's full support. "You have to keep in mind that a president works for a board," Garcia said. "There were only about four board members who were upset, but they have access to money and other people with money?I might be getting my way [by allowing the exhibit to appear], but if I stayed I would be undermining the college." Garcia added that the same board members have consistently disagreed with her decisions. In 1992, Garcia invited Lynn Yeakel, a former candidate for U.S. Senate and an abortion rights activist, to speak at the college's commencement. This, too, created tension between Garcia and the board members. Once Healy assumes her new position next month she will take a leave of absence from Bryn Mawr College, where she has taught philosophy for 17 years.

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