Save Art Now III: Why It's Important (Part II)

For five years, I worked as a Security Guard at the Museum of Art- and over the course of those years, I learned a lot more about art than I imagined at first. It was almost inevitable, really- security guards are the public face of the Museum, so they get all the questions about the paintings in the galleries, so I didn't really have a choice. Over time, I listened, I asked docents and curators and I began to learn a fair amount about the Museum's collection. And the more I learned, the more I began to realize how incredible the University's collection really was.

You wouldn't believe the amount of people, over the years who would look at what appeared to be a big black square and say, sneeringly: 'Well, give me a marker. I could do that.' No, you really couldn't. Trust me on this. The piece, by abstract artist Ad Reinhardt was not one of my favorite pieces, I have to admit- after all, it did just appear to be a big black square. Look closer though: four faint lines, dividing the square into nine equal squares, each one a slightly different shade of black. Still just a square? Well, Reinhardt was trying to see what was the least amount of work he could do a canvas and still have it be considered art. Digest that and discuss.

There were the yearly questions about the DiChirico (yes, the dates don't match because DiChirico reproduced his own canvases- right down to the original dates. So the label is right. The painting is technically wrong.) The Miro, painted on burlap sack. The Beckmann Tryptic, one panel of which is apparently painted on a bedsheet. (I'm pretty sure that's true- people did like to pull pranks now and again.) Where was the Matisse? The Pink Sky? The Grant Wood?

The questions were never-ending and the next five years were the best crash course in Art education that I could have hoped for. And there were more: the African Art Collection is one of the top 10 collections in the country. Yes, that's right- one of the best collections of all things, African Art, is in Iowa.

And what's up with those spooky Nazi Drawings? Well, the Print School at Iowa is one of the top Print Schools in the country and between Mauricio Lasansky and Virgina Meyers, the Print School is one of the best, if not actually the best. Lasansky, author of the Nazi Drawings pioneered the medium of 'large scale' or intaglio printing, breaking printing out of smaller dimensions and crafting a vision of one humanity's darkest hours. Looking at the drawings, you can't help but be moved.

Virgina Meyers invented the medium of foil printing. Yes, that's right- printmaking, an artform that goes back thousands of years and she invented a new type of printing. That alone is pretty cool. But she had to invent new technology to do it- whole new presses that I believe the University of Iowa still holds the patents to. One of the coolest moments came during her exhibition at the Museum, when one of my fellow guards pointed to a small, unnoticed print of a fire of some kind and told me that this piece was the first foil printing piece she had ever done.

I could go on all day with all of this- but the crowning glory to all of it has to be the Pollock. Mural is one of those paintings you could watch all day- indeed, the Museum put two Eames chairs in front of the painting so people could do just that and those chairs were almost always filled. I saw it every day for five years and could see something new it every single time I would look at it. It's one of the most important pieces of American Art of the last century and it's in Iowa. Iowa City of all places. Why would anyone want to change that?

The Collection of the University of Iowa is incredible- and the Art School is just as important- and not enough people know it!

It took me awhile, but finally I understood. Art is more than just swirls of paint on a canvas. It's more than just random lumps of clay. Art is work. Art is soul brought to life in a medium that best reflects the artist who creates it. And yes, art is important- and should be protected. This has to, has to be about more than the bottom line for our state universities- collections like the University's are not just assets to be dealt away in times of dire financial need, they are treasures that belong not just to the University but to the people of the state of Iowa. Pieces like the Pollock have to be preserved and stay here so that people from all over the state can come and view them for generations to come.

What's irritating about all of this is that the Regents take a short view on the matter. It's about getting as much money as possible as fast as possible- ignoring the fact that if presented differently, the UIMA could be a major tourist attraction for Eastern Iowa and could, potentially, bring in people, money and attract the best art students from around the nation- even more than it already does.

The leadership of not only the Regents, but the State itself should be acting proactively on this. Beyond the ruined houses, the ruined businesses that have to be rebuilt, there are cultural assets that are valuable resources for their communities and help to bring people to places like Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. In the long, slow process of rebuilding, these assets cannot be forgotten. We have to remember and protect the UIMA. We have to bring back the Czech Village and Museum- the Cedar Rapids Public Library, their Museum of Art. And I know for a fact that there are more places that could be put on this list.

I think it's time for all Iowans and all people who care about preserving our history and our cultural treasures to move this beyond the Regents. The State of Iowa needs to stand up- the people, the country has to come together and fight for the cause of cultural preservation, especially in the wake of the devastating floods of 2008.