Sunday, August 17, 2008

Today's Iowa News (UPDATED)

The latest from the Des Moines Register on the possible Pollock deacessioning. Two interesting things, I thought:

1. U of I Regent Michael Gartner responds to Tyler Green's conflict of interest concerns: "Gartner called Green's blog post 'bizarre' and said he and his wife aren't conspiring to bring the Pollock painting to Des Moines. ... 'My wife, like probably 2.9 million other Iowans, didn't even know the university owned a $150 million painting (if that's what it's worth) until it was in the news in recent weeks.'"

2. The Director of the Des Moines Art Center says "the museum could not afford to buy 'Mural' even if it were for sale."

The paper also editorializes against the sale: "'Mural' belongs to the people of Iowa - those alive today and future generations. It's one of Iowa's gems, the same way public land, artifacts, monuments and rare documents are pieces of this state's history. Sure, museums and individuals would probably buy many of the rare items owned by the public. But Iowa leaders should recognize the value of these items and places - beyond what they could bring at an auction."

UPDATE: Tyler responds to Gartner's response here.