Lessons to learn from Pollock debate

By Iowa City Press-Citizen

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After weeks of intense reaction to House Study Bill 84 -- legislation that would have required the University of Iowa to sell Jackson Pollock's “Mural” and to use the money to fund scholarships for art students -- Iowa House Appropriations Chair Scott Raecker (R-Urbandale) announced Monday that he was dropping the bill from further consideration this legislative session. ...

As with most of the members of the Iowa state Board of Regents and with other statewide supporters of the UI Museum of Art, we were glad that Raecker decided to drop the legislation.

We agreed with Republican Gov. Terry Branstad that requiring the sale of the Pollock could have “unintended consequences” and could chill donations to UI. ...

We also were glad to hear Sean O'Harrow, director of the UI Museum of Art, say that that there were some important lessons to be learned from the debate over the previous weeks. ...

The length and intensity of the debate showed O'Harrow, who started in the job only a few months earlier, that he has a lot of hard work ahead him.

First, O'Harrow has to reassure would-be donors that their donations will be valued and appreciated by the museum and won't be sold to the high bidder if economic times get rough. ...

Second, he needs to demonstrate to lawmakers and skeptical Iowa taxpayers that the UI Museum of Art is itself an education outlet of the university -- even with its flood-damaged permanent building now off limits to the collection.

Luckily O'Harrow, who directed the Figge Art Museum in Davenport before assuming the directorship of the university museum, is in a good position to do just that. ...

And just as the Figge has made space to store and to display the UI collection until the university's museum can construct a new building, so O'Harrow sees possibilities to tour the Pollock and other important artwork throughout the state.

“I think it is our duty to serve every corner of our state,” O'Harrow said.