Farewell to the master
Lincoln’s art muse celebrated in solo show

 

[July 20, 2020] 

What’s in a name? Well, he was known as Moses Pinkerton and Toby Prange, even though his given name was Anton. Each name had a unique persona to go with it. A large gathering at the Lincoln Art Institute Saturday honored their friend of many names with a solo show of his art.

Moses Pinkerton was the founder of the Lincoln Art Institute and a founding member of Logan County Arts. He passed away unexpectedly two weeks ago.

Mose’s larger than life persona will be missed by the art community in central Illinois and everyone in Lincoln who knew him.

Moses came to Lincoln with the intent of finding a home for his wife Polly and himself. He also knew that he wanted to found an art community. The spectacular success of Logan County Arts and the gallery at the Lincoln Art Institute on the square in downtown Lincoln attest to his ability to make his dream come true. But he did much more than that.

Moses made many friends, and was always available to lend a helping hand to those who needed one. He encouraged those he knew to follow their dreams, to trust the innate talent that would inevitably lead them to success. He could often be found at his friend Jason Hoffman’s studio helping with a project. He often would sit on the portico in front of the LAI reading. He greeted everyone who passed by with a warm salute. He knew almost all on a first name basis.

A person would always feel an open invitation to sit and chat. “I feel his absence every morning. He was always my first customer of the day, a small cup of coffee without a lid. I probably saw him more often than I do my dad,” said Heather Cosby, owner of Flossie and Delzena’s. “He was always interested in me and the kids who work for me,” she said.

“There were so many facets to his talent,” said his friend Mitch Douglas. “Moses never circulated in our orbit, but drew us into his orbit. People just gravitated to him,” he said.

It is easy to see why Mitch commented on the numerous facets of Moses’ talent just by wandering the gallery he founded and gazing at the solo art show honoring his passing.

Family was important to Moses. His sister Chris is in the front row in the orange dress. Her husband Dan is in the back row second from left. And who are all the others? These are Moses’ nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. They all traveled to Lincoln from the Chicago area to pay tribute.

The irony of this solo show is that Moses’ friends have been after him for years to stage a show wholly featuring his art. He always declined, instead preferring to give the walls in his gallery to others who may not have had the opportunity to exhibit in such a wonderful space. Oh sure, you could see a single Pinkerton here and there hanging in the monthly art shows staged at LAI, but never on the scale his friends thought he deserved. This show certainly has a WOW Factor to it. Moses Pinkerton had a boatload of talent.

Fortunately, Moses has left Lincoln with a lasting visible legacy of his time here. The “Cow in the Corn” sculpture on Sangamon Street, the tree hugger at Creekside, the horse in front of Jason Hoffman Studios, and two wood sculptures in Kickapoo Creek Park will stand for many years attesting that Moses Pinkerton passed this way. And we are all fortunate for it.

[Curtis Fox]

Talented people have been working some magic on the former Lincoln Furniture store, turning it into an artist's den. Located next to the post office and across from the Logan County Courthouse, the building was built by Odd Fellows. The nearly 100-year-old structure is improving in looks and character. According to the sign, the public is invited to stop in and see the works of artist Moses Pinkerton on Saturday.

Published 02/24/2012

08/26/2011 - New art institute and think tank opens on the square