Beloved Erie art collection gets a new owner, but stays at its historical home

A deal between two Erie institutions has ended the decades-old confusion that had surrounded a renowned collection of paintings and other works by one of Erie's most famous artists.

The Erie School District has transferred ownership of more than 200 pieces by Eugene Iverd to the Hagen History Center, where the works had been on permanent loan and displayed at the center's Watson-Curtze Mansion since 2000.

Who was Eugene Iverd, and why is he revered in Erie?

Iverd, whose real name was George Ericson, was an Erie School District teacher from 1921 to 1930, the district said. He is best known for his paintings that appeared on the covers of the Saturday Evening Post from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s.

Photos:Iverd/Griswold art on display at Hagen History Center in Erie

Iverd used as models Erie children, many of whom lived in his Glenwood Park neighborhood. He painted in a style similar to that of his contemporary, Norman Rockwell. He portrayed children fishing and in playing in other outdoor scenes and carrying out mundane tasks, such as carrying a snow shovel.

Iverd's illustrations and paintings endeared him to a local audience at the same time the works gained him a national following. He died at age 43 in 1936.

Iverd's paintings "are beloved by the community," said Caleb Pifer, executive director of the Hagen History Center, the name of the Erie County Historical Society since 2014. "They are so evocative of Americana. They are Norman Rockwell-esque. And they are paintings of real individuals in the Erie community."

Local link:Eugene Iverd exhibit featured connection to Behrend student

Iverd's legacy also included his students, some of whom turned out to be famous Erie artists in their own right. Iverd taught Joseph Plavcan and Richard Anuszkiewicz, among others.

What was the confusion over Iverd's works?

The Erie School District once displayed many of Iverd's works in its buildings. Eventually the more than 200 paintings and illustrations were collected and placed at the Watson-Curtze Mansion at West Sixth and Chestnut streets.

The mansion at the time was part of the Erie Historical Museum and Planetarium, which the Erie School District controlled. The district in 1997 created an independent museum board to run the museum and oversee its holdings. The Erie County Historical Society officially took over ownership of the museum's 3,000-piece collection in 2000.

Art history:The work of Joseph Plavcan, another acclaimed Erie artist

An exception was the Iverd paintings and his other works. The Erie School District retained ownership of those pieces, though they remained available for display at the Watson-Curtze Mansion on permanent loan. The arrangement created a confusing situation in which the Erie County Historical Society and then the Hagen History Center possessed the works but the Erie School District owned them.

Why did the Erie School District transfer ownership?

The Erie School Board unanimously approved the transfer at its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday. Erie schools Superintendent Brian Polito recommended the approval.

The Erie School District has never had the capacity to restore and display the paintings and other works, Polito said.

Pifer said the Hagen History Center wanted to restore the works to preserve them and continue to display them.

Iverd's influence:Erie's artistic heritage on display

But Pifer said the Hagen History Center did not want to spend an estimated $100,000 on the restoration unless it owned the Iverd works. The center and the school district worked out the deal that transferred ownership to the center.

"This collection really is a community treasure," Polito said in an interview. "We wanted to make sure it is preserved properly and is available to the public."

"It is an exciting acquisition," Pifer said. "It finally puts the question of ownership to bed after 23 years. It allows us to engage in conservation now that we own it outright."

Can the Hagen History Center sell the Iverd paintings?

The deed that transfers the ownership of the works to the Hagen History Center prohibits the center from selling any of the items in the collection including the paintings and Iverd's papers and other documents.

The deed also requires the center to return to the school district's ownership any Iverd works the center wants to remove from its collection through a process known as deaccession.

The Erie School District did not consider selling the works because of their importance to the community, Polito said. He and other district officials said the value of the works is unknown. The district did not have the works appraised.

"Since they have never been on the market, we don't know how much they are worth," Erie School District Solicitor Tim Wachter said.

What are other elements of the deal over the Iverd works?

The Hagen History Center must provide insurance coverage for the collection. It must also allow the nonprofit Foundation for Erie's Public Schools to use reproductions of the images in the Iverd collection for free for fundraising and other purposes.

Another part of the deal requires the Hagen History Center to provide free admission to the center to any Erie School District student with a student ID.

Living history:Erie's Watson-Curtze Mansion offers look at millionaire life of luxury from bygone era

And the deal requires the Hagen History Center to commit to working with the Erie School District on "an inaugural kickoff event that features the Iverd Collection and possibly other Erie School District alumni artists that achieved national acclaim, such as Joseph Plavcan," according to the deed for the gift.

Pifer said he expects the exhibit to be ready by late 2023 or early 2024.

"It will have a lot of history, that's for sure," he said.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNpalattella.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Beloved Erie art collection changes hands, but not its location