Pop artist's exhibit shows HeArt

Almost 200 people attended the Jim Dine Exhibition at the Kennedy Museum of Art last Thursday, raising an estimated $5,250 for the Friends of Kennedy Museum, according to museum Director Ed Pauley.

The exhibition, "Jim Dine: Sculpture and Large Prints," was the opening event of the Ohio University College of Fine Arts' 75^th anniversary celebration, and launched a new community art project entitled, "HeArts and Arts."

"It's serendipitous that the exhibition coincides with the College of Fine Arts' 75^th anniversary," Pauley said.

Dine pioneered the pop art movement in the '60s. After receiving his bachelor of fine arts at OU, he "went directly to New York and started experimenting in the avant garde," according to museum Curator Petra Kralickova. "He was the leading figure in (the two art movements) Pop Art and the Happenings."

The avant garde involves being innovative with art, and is often unconventional and with a political edge. According to Kralickova, "[Dine] has a story that has been retold here. He had a couple exhibitions here as a student that caused some controversy."

Kralickova continued, "He pushed the boundaries of art. As I hear and read from articles, it was quite new back then."

Kralickova said that the museum acquired the Dine pieces when the curator of the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Mich., also an OU alum, approached the Kennedy Museum of Art asking if it was interested in displaying the exhibition.

Kralickova then selected 13 sculptures from the Michigan exhibition and asked Dine if he'd be willing to display prints, which were not available in Michigan, at the Kennedy. Kralickova set the exhibit up and sent Dine a copy of the layout. The exhibit was altered one more time when Dine arrived at the Kennedy to approve the set-up.

Regarding Kralickova's responsibility in organizing the exhibition, Pauley said to the guests on Thursday, "This is her baby."

During the event, people of all ages admired the recurring icons in Dine's work hearts, Venus de Milo, Pinocchio and bathrobes.

Larson Lovdal, an incoming senior at Athens High School, said that he decided to attend the exhibition because, "I don't think I've heard Jorma (Kaukonen) play. I've heard a lot about Jim Dine, so I was interested."

Nancy Aiken, a local artist, said she enjoyed Dine's art because, "His stuff is fun and light-hearted and interesting," while her friend Lee Gregg sad he was "into Jim Dine as a historical figure."

Halfway into the show, Jorma Kaukonen, former guitarist for the bands Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna and now owner of the Fur Peace Ranch guitar camp and music venue in Meigs County, performed in front of Dine's Venus de Milo sculptures for the guests.

Before Kaukonen performed, his wife, Vanessa, co-owner of the Fur Peace Ranch, launched a community art project. Entitled, "HeArts and Arts," this project involves community members taking photos of hearts occurring in everyday life and tagging them "HeArts and Arts" on Facebook.

The images will then be transformed into a "moving artwork" display to be presented to Jim Dine when he arrives at OU in November for a public interview, marking the end of the College of Fine Arts' anniversary celebration.

"Start submitting heart images, what hearts mean to you," Vanessa declared. "Now, that's 'hearts' with a capital 'A-r-t-s'!"

While Vanessa Kaukonen spoke, her young daughter displayed an example of a heart picture by holding up an iPad above her head with an image of her blanket that had curved into the shape of a heart when thrown upon the bed.

"I know there's hearts in your blankie," Vanessa said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Facebook users who wish to participate in the project should "like" the page "HeArts and Arts" and tag their heart photos with the page name. Those who do not have a Facebook account, but wish to participate, should email their heart photos to Vanessa at fpman@earthlink.net. Donors are asked to keep the photos appropriate.

Jim Dine's exhibition is only the beginning of the College of Fine Arts' 75^th Anniversary celebration. To learn more about the college's celebration events, visit http://www.finearts.ohio.edu/75/.