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Final days of Pollock’s “Mural” Exhibition

Photo by Dean Borg
Jackson Pollock’s painting “Mural” at the Sioux City Art Center.";s:3:

The Sioux City Art Center is saying goodbye to its famous guest with public farewell parties.

Jackson Pollock’s “Mural” exhibit closes April 1st.  The Art Center is hosting “Arrivederci, Pollock”, Saturday, March 14th, followed by a University of Iowa Alumni reception for the famous work of art on March 21st. The University of Iowa owns the painting which is moving to Venice, Italy for an exhibition “Jackson Pollock’s Mural: Energy Made Visible” on April 22nd.

Sioux City Art Center Director, Al Harris-Fernandez, says the Center raised more than $200,000 to enable “Mural” to be exhibited in Sioux City since June, 2014. The money was used to underwrite costs of remodeling the Center to enhance the exhibit, and for security and shipping expenses.

“A lot of people have traveled to Sioux City to see the exhibition,” says Harris-Fernandez. “We’ve gotten some very interesting people who discovered Sioux City and the Art Center, and enjoyed 'Mural'.”               

One of the visitors during the final month, Debra Bucy of Sioux City, says, “I thought it was cool…a very extraordinary piece of artwork. Really loved having it here so we could see it ourselves.”

Long-time Sioux City resident, Patrick Pearson, admits he’s never been to the Art Center, but curiosity compelled him to see “Mural”. “Been planning on coming,” he explains, “and I saw it on television and he’s a real famous artist, so I just came to see what it looked like.”

University of Iowa Museum of Art Director, Sean O’Harrow, says “Mural” broke all attendance records at the Getty Museum in Los Angles before it was moved to Sioux City.  O’Harrow says the University of Iowa intends to move additional art works to Sioux City.  “It’s difficult to move art like this, so this was an incredible opportunity to show this historic painting in a place like Sioux City, and this is the start of a larger project with Sioux City where we’re able to move more of the Collection there on a regular basis.”

Sioux City Art Center Director, Harris-Fernandez, admits sadness in “Mural’s” impending departure. “I go in and see it just about every day when I let the security guards go. Every time I see it, I really enjoy it, and that’s the sign of a really great work of art is that you can keep looking at it and it keeps revealing itself, keeps showing you something new all the time. It’s going to be hard to say goodbye.”