JUNE 12, 2006
Original Drawings by Don Haskins
Done in his high school civics class in 1930’s Oklahoma
Texas Western College 1966 NCAA Championship
Memorabilia From the collection of Joe Gomez
Opening of exhibition
Friday, June 16, 2006
10-5 p.m. M-F or by Appointment
Exhibition on view through July 7, 2006
To continue the celebration of the movie “Glory Road,” Adair Margo Gallery will focus on a little known fact about 1966 NCAA championship coach Don Haskins: that he at one time aspired to be an artist. Margo learned about Haskin’s love of art from his wife, Mary, when they traveled to the White House for the screening of the “Glory Road” and dinner with President and Mrs. Bush in February. “Coach had mentioned years ago how much he loved to draw, and Mary told me a little bit about his drawings. I thought, well let’s show them!” Margo said.
On exhibit will be over a dozen drawings done by a 15 year old Don Haskins in his Oklahoma high school Civics Class taught by Mr. Dewey Bickel in the 1930’s. Haskins said that Bickel encouraged him to quit sports and be an artist: “My classmates would get mad because I never had to take a test or anything in Mr. Bickel’s class. He would just say ‘draw me a buffalo, or draw me a portrait.’ “Haskins also shared that art was his first major in college but that he was disappointed when the classes didn’t include drawing: “I thought I was going to get to draw. I even bought myself a big sketch pad. But we didn’t draw at all. It was all theory. I only took two classes and then I quit.”
Margo said that Haskin’s story is not unusual. Tom Lea also dropped out of the Art Institute of Chicago to do murals because his classes focused more on theory than life drawing in the late 1920’s. Those who loved observing and recording the world around them ended up dropping out because they didn’t want to talk about art, they wanted to draw.
Also on view will be memorabilia from the collection of local 1966 Championship buff, Joe Gomez. Joe has collected every item available from the 1966 NCAA game, including photos, jerseys, films, books, news clips and pieces of the basketball court floor. Many have said that his extensive collection will one day be the basis for a Texas Western Miner 1966 NCAA Championship Museum on the University of Texas at El Paso Campus.
Margo will sell limited edition prints of “The Bear” a portrait of Haskins painted by artist Phil Behymer in 1997 when Haskins was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Unsigned prints of “The Bear” have sold on e-bay for $200. and those at the Gallery will sell for $125. Half of all proceeds go to Coach Haskins.
