Epic Win!

One piece of Republican stupidity has officially died. BTW, kids, John Seed from HuffPost (the big leagues of the Interwebs) contacted me today to ask me for some thoughts on the proposed sale of the Pollock Mural. This is what I said in reply:

John,

The first question is the more difficult of the two. I think especially in Eastern Iowa, more people have seen the painting- both at the Figge in Davenport and when it was on campus and were aware of it's iconic importance to the state than elsewhere in the state. There's a surprising lack of knowledge about just what an amazing art collection the University has- and while I believe the original building was built mainly through the monetary support of the community, that was at least three decades ago now and in the intervening time, the Art School and the Art Community just got comfortable with the way things were.

As a result, really and truly, the Pollock and the rest of the University's collection could accurately be called one of the best kept secrets in Iowa. Not a lot of people out there are aware of just how amazing the collection is- apart from the Pollock we've got one of the best African Art collections in the country, we've had pioneered methods in intaglio and foil printing, we've got PIcassos, Woods, Matisses- everything really. So how do Iowans feel? I expect some of them were surprised to learn just what an extensive and valuable collection we have- and even more surprised to learn just what some of these paintings were worth. And I think the more Iowans get to see the Mural and the rest of the collection, the more they'll value it as part of the state's cultural heritage.

As for the second question, I think a lot of people do care about the Pollock. Any other painting of this stature would probably be in a Museum far, far away from Iowa, so the fact that it's Iowa and not in say, New York City, only makes it more special to people around here- which I why I think you've seen such a passionate response to attempts to force its sale. It's a big deal that we have this painting- people should know about it and every Iowan should have the chance to see it for themselves.

As for me: I think the proposed sale is an unworthy solution for the times we live in. Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, we all know that money is tight and straining both family checkbooks and state budgets around the country. A garage sale of our prized cultural possessions is no solution at all. Higher education is especially bloated with administrators- there are far more productive things the Legislature could have chosen to target, yet they didn't. As a country we're living in a tumultuous time of transition as we move into a post-industrial, 21st century economy, yet our education and governmental systems are still stuck in the 19th century. If we're to grow the economy again for everyone, we need an education system that inspires creativity, innovation and a lifelong love for learning so that no student will ever stop searching for 'the next big idea'- and as we've seen over these past weeks, Mural has inspired discussion and controversy around the country- who knows which student, which legislature or even which person it will inspire next.

hope that helps.
Tom

Even though this latest attempt to sell the Mural has died, we've got to pull together and start planning for, fundraising for and building a Museum worthy of this amazing collection. It's inexcusable that so many Iowans didn't know what we had down here and we need to make sure every Iowan gets to see this amazing painting- and the rest of the collection for that matter, up close and personal.