Archive for October, 2013
Jack Tykel (1930-2013)
JACK B. TYKAL 1930-2013
I came into this world on 27 June 1930 in Chicago, IL, born to Henry F. and Mae G. (Thompson) Tykal, and I left it on 24 September 2013. I grew up in the Midwest, and attended college in Indiana, where I met an Ohio girl, Helen Gibson. She later became my wife of 59 years.
A 1952 college graduate, Uncle Sam put the arm on me for two years, of which thirteen months were spent in Korea. Army service ended, I married Helen and began a career as a banker. Seven years later, after deciding banking was not for me after all, I followed an earlier interest and became a Special Agent of the FBI. Several moves around the country saw me wind up in Salt Lake City, where I retired as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Salt Lake City office.
Believing that one does not retire to do nothing, but to do something different, I harkened back to a near-lifelong interest in western history, and the fur trade. Over the succeeding years I had two books published on western history/fur trade, and articles in historical journals. One of my most enjoyable associations were the years I spent as a member of the Utah Westerners. Another is Cottonwood Presbyterian Church, where I’ve served in a number of capacities over the years and have enjoyed friendships with my fellow members.
I leave behind my wife, Helen, four daughters: Karen Smith (Don), Elizabeth Barnhart (Jim), Susan Wood (Steve), and Barb Tykal, and eight wonderful grandkids. Leaving them is my only regret for I’ve had a great run at life and leave with no other complaints.
There will be a Memorial Service for me at Cottonwood Presbyterian Church (1580 Vine St.) at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, October 5. Not being one for flowers, if you want to honor and remember me I suggest a donation to either The Nature Conservancy or Heifer Project, both favorites of mine.
“Death is a debt to Nature due That I have paid, and so must you.”
( gravestone, Deerfield, Mass.)
October Announcement for the Utah Westerners
LOOKING INWARD
LeCONTE STEWART’S DEPRESSION-ERA ART
DONNA L. POULTON AND VERN G. SWANSON
LeConte Stewart (1891-1990) is considered to be Utah’s most important landscape painter. His paintings elicit a wide range of responses from his audiences—especially those images of the Great Depression. From the sublime to the mundane, his depictions of rural and urban Utah evoke currents of emotion often described as nostalgic and melancholic. LeConte Stewart turned his attention inward during the 1930s asking questions about what went wrong with the economy while also searching for what was solid and honest in the Utah landscape. Woven throughout most of his rural landscape paintings are expressive traces of solitude and desolation, but it is important to note that they should not be confused with pessimism for a landscape that gave Stewart such inordinate pleasure. During the course of this presentation, both Donna Poulton and Vern Swanson will talk about the extraordinary content of his masterworks, the artist’s motivations, his sorrows and his joy. The paintings offer the viewer an opportunity to identify, if only momentarily, with the mind of a profoundly introspective artist who made it his life’s work to express his deepest and innermost experience.
Utah Westerner, Donna L. Poulton, is the Curator of art of Utah and the West at the University of Utah’s Museum of Fine Arts. She grew up in rural Montana and lived in Germany for twelve years where studied at the BostonUniversity extension in Stuttgart and later received her Ph.D from BrighamYoungUniversity. She has juried and curated many exhibitions and has written articles on Utah and Western Art for Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, is the author of Reuben Kirkham: Pioneer Artist and co-author of Utah Art, Utah Artists, Painters of Utah’s Canyons and Deserts and LeConte Stewart: Masterworks. Her new book on Painters of the Tetons will be released next year for the 100-year anniversary of Teton National Park. Her new book, Mountains and High Plateaus, with co-authors Vern Swanson and Jim Poulton will be released in 2015.
Donna has taught Utah art history at the University of Utah, lectures throughout the state and has served on the boards of numerous arts organizations. She has produced commercial videos on Utah art and consulted with private art collectors and galleries.
Vern G. Swanson is a native of Oregon. He graduated from Brigham Young University (BA), University of Utah (MA), and University of London (PhD) in art history. He started his career at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., taught art history at Auburn University as an Assistant Professor and was later employed a Wasatch Bronzeworks in Lehi. Since 1980, Dr. Swanson has been the director of the Springville Museum of Art, has helped the museum’s art collection of Utah and Russian art grow and has contributed toward the construction of the new wing dedicated in 2004.
Dr. Swanson has published fourteen art history books as sole or joint author. Six of these have been in collaboration with Drs. Robert Olpin, William Seifrit, and Donna Poulton. In 2007, this third and largest book, Soviet Impressionist Painting, was released. He is currently working on four books including the long awaited book on John Hafen and “The Chiasmatic Atonement.”
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