IMU art holds special value

Shirley Colavito knows not to take what she sees for granted. If it weren't for the artwork that has greeted her at work everyday for 32 years, she could have been looking at blank walls.\nInstead, the Indiana Memorial Union hotel clerk sees artwork from the collection of nearly 1,200 pieces that adorns the walls and corridors of the IMU.\n"There's a huge gamut of artists that anyone could appreciate, from modern to traditional," said Colavito. "The Union is a one-of-a-kind place that way."\nMost of the pieces focus on art from around Indiana, including those by T.C. Steele, said acting curator Rand Mckamey. The first-known piece was placed in the Union Club in 1915, and since then, artwork has been donated or purchased to cover the walls with pieces of Indiana history and beauty.\nAlthough many pieces hold special significance, Mckamey said the picture he most often receives compliments about is the Halloween painting in the Tudor Room. It is a piece by Orville Haag portraying a young girl with a jack-o-lantern.\n"It's one that people seem to feel something about when they see it, and I guess that's what art is all about," Mckamey said.\nThe IMU receives many pieces from people who feel the art will have a home there, said Sherry Rouse, curator of campus art.\n"Many of the original paintings were purchased from the Hoosier Salon," Rouse said. "Now, the Union Board is connected with donors."\nMckamey said people often appreciate their close proximity to the art, a privilege not granted in many museums.\n"People are on a more informal level here," he said. "They tend to treat the artwork respectfully."\nAlthough most people do not mean to harm the art, there have been instances of accidental and purposeful harm.\n"We've had acid splashed on paintings," he said. "Most of the pieces in public spaces are protected by a tough glazing material."\nFor Colavito, the artwork is a treasure that many do not fully realize.\n"We look at it and enjoy it," she said, "but I don't think we always appreciate it as we should until someone new comes along and points it out to us." \n-- Contact staff writer Kristin Wynkoop at kwynkoop@indiana.edu.