La Disputa

Perhaps like some of you, I’ve been following the story of University of Iowa: Museum of Art. If you haven’t, here’s what’s been happening. Recently, the museum has experienced some terrible flash flooding. It was so unexpected that people got evacuated mid-day, leaving the art on the walls and in the storage to fend for itself. After some panicked jumping around, the executive officers got approval to get the most valuable art out of the temple of doom. Still, there was $231 million dollars worth of damage on the art and the museum itself.

There were a few options laid out to fix the museum, however the one that would bring back most of the money sparked controversy. Although the art world looks on with sympathy as the museum shakily tries to build itself back up, the looks turned to horror when the Iowa Museum ventured the option of selling their most prized work: The Mural by Jackson Pollack. This work, given to the museum as a gift by Peggy Guggenheim, has become the cornerstone of the museum’s collection. Much of the culturists in Iowa consider the $150 million work to be their state’s most important treasure. It is also looked quite unfavorably upon an art institution that sells its art to fix itself.

The Museum of Iowa may have lost its roof, but if it sells the Pollack, it may lose much of its respect. And thus, the unfortunate situation stands.