Idea to force Iowa to sell its $150 million Jackson Pollock painting dies

BY: Jason Clayworth

Jason Clayworth covers state government and politics for the Des Moines Register.

The idea to force the University of Iowa to sell its $150 million Jackson Pollock painting has officially died in the legislature.

The reason: The issue has become so cumbersomely emotional that reaching consensus is unlikely, the legislator pushing for the sale said today.

“Right now the legislature needs to focus on passing a budget for Iowans that meets their priority needs and doesn’t spend more than we take in,” said Rep. Scott Raecker, R-Urbandale who introduced the bill.

Raecker has received numerous e-mails and calls from people with strong opinions on both sides of the issue and some of them have involved profanity and ill wishes towards his next reelection campaign.

Raecker made the proposal in hopes of using the money to create a perpetual fund and pay for hundreds of scholarships for university students. But the idea created a flutter of opposition.

John Pappajohn, a well-known Des Moines Philanthropist who has given about $40 million to the university publicly criticized the idea last week. And, on Monday Morning, Gov. Terry Branstad expressed his opposition to the idea, saying it could have a chilling affect upon private donations.

House Study Bill 84 was scheduled to be considered today at 4 p.m. by the House Appropriations Committee. That meeting has been canceled.

“I do understand their intention is to have more money available for scholarships,” Branstad said. So their intentions are good but the unintended consequences, in terms of donations to the universities, is something that should also be considered.”

The painting, “Mural,” was donated in 1951 by Peggy Guggenheim, who at the time believed it was worth a few thousands dollars.

Pollock is one of the nation’s most influential painters. An Academy-Award winning film about his life that ended in 1956 from a drunken-driving accident was released in 2000 and stared Ed Harris.