Jeff McNutt

Jeff McNutt formerly Herky the Hawk introduces 14 new paintings at the October 5th 2007 Iowa City Gallery Walk at M.C. Ginsberg Jewelers.  The show is titled "Old School Herky."  All the profits from the sale of these paintings will go to the University of Iowa's Hall of Fame and the women's athletic program.  

Jeff McNutt was born in Cedar Rapids, IA in 1967.  He grew up in Des Moines and came to Iowa City in 1986 as a freshmen at the University of Iowa.  In 1987, Jeff was able to perform as Herky the Hawk and had the chance to travel around the state to a variety of events.  "When you are Herky, everyone loves you and is happy to see you, unless you are in Ames."  

In 1989, Jeff participated in a college internship at The Walt Disney Studies in Orlando, Florida.  "At Disney, my life changed.  I met several Disney animators and began my training as an artist."  In 1991, Jeff graduated with a bachelor's degree in management, and moved to Los Angeles where he continued studying art with animators from Warner Bros., Amblin and Disney.  Jeff found California a great place to visit but didn't want to live there.

In 1992, he moved back to Iowa to study painting at the University of Iowa.  During that time Jeff created sports paintings as gifts for friends and family.  He soon had people calling him to commission paintings of different sports teams.  In 1993, he met his future wife while working part time at the Sinclair station on Riverside Drive.  Jeff recalls "It must have been love if Beth would go out with me while my profession required wearing a green polyester suit with a little dinosaur patch."  In 1994 Jeff and Beth were married and started raising a family in Iowa City.  

During the next ten years, Jeff continued to get calls from people interested in commissioning him to do spots paintings.  Jeff considered the idea of painting Herky in 2004.  In 2005, he was given permission to cycle items considered unusable from the implosion of Kinnick Stadium in his artwork.  Jeff collected brick, metal, and wood from Kinnick Stadium and uses them in his paintings.  "I crush Kinnick brick and use it as a dust in the final layer of a painting.  It looks like Herky is kicking up the dust.  One of the most unique materials I have to use is some of the wood from Kinnick.  It turns out the wood I recycle into framing are the old seat benches from Iowa Stadium/Kinnick.  While Nile Kinnick and the Iron Men beat Notre Dame, someone was sitting in the seats I am using as frames.  It is unique and has a lot of history."

Last year Jeff introduced two paintings - All Aboard Herky and HOPTU.  Jeff also created an original piece requested by the Nate Kaeding foundation to help raise $5900 for the new adult Ronald McDonald House in Iowa City.  This fall, M.C. Ginsberg Jewelers introduces 14 new paintings in a show titled Old School Herky.  The paintings were inspired by the cartooning of Richard Spencer, the creator of the original Herky the Hawk.