WASHINGTON (AP) — A group representing students, alumni, donors and faculty who are working to stop the Corcoran Gallery of Art — one of the nation’s oldest museums — and its college from merging with two larger institutions filed a formal objection to the deal Wednesday in D.C. Superior Court.

Lawyers for the nonprofit group Save the Corcoran filed the lawsuit seeking to intervene in the museum’s effort to merge with the National Gallery of Art and George Washington University. A deal finalized among the three institutions in May is subject to court approval. The agreement would allow the Corcoran building to continue operating as a museum, though with less than half its current gallery space. More space would be devoted to the art school.