My Story
I was born and raised in Iowa. My family always cheered on the Hawkeyes. As a kid, I loved the old 1950s Batman comics, loved to draw but never took it seriously. I never had a formal art education. In the fall of 1986, I enrolled at The University of Iowa - not sure of what I wanted to do with my life or major. A sense of clarity came in 1987 & ’88 when I was given the opportunity to be the mascot for Iowa – Herky The Hawk. I remember thinking it would be great to have my life’s work bring people joy, have fun and be creative.
In the fall of 1989, I decided to be part of the Walt Disney World College Program. At Disney, I became inspired to create something unique in the art world. After meeting some of the animators, I started carrying around a sketch pad with ideas for movie characters. After graduating college in 1991, my journey led me to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the art world and movie business. In two years, I learned a lot artistically in Hollywood, but California just wasn’t home.
In 1993, I moved back to Iowa City and enrolled again at The University of Iowa, but this time as a graduate art student. In 1994, I met the love of my life and started raising a family with my wife Beth. I continued to paint and do artwork when I had the time while raising our two boys – Carter & Sawyer. In the summer of 2004, while in my studio, I heard the radio announcement that Kinnick Stadium was being renovated. Drawing on my art experiences, I knew I could do something with the remnants of the stadium. I wanted to bring that Hawkeye karma I knew as Herky into a work of art. After doing numerous sketches and paintings, it came clear to me that painting Herky was the way to go. I have always heard “do what you know” and I knew all about Herky. Life came around full circle for me here in Iowa City. I have been blessed with the opportunity to see my dream come true – create something unique, be creative, and bring people a lot of joy. I am very proud to say since 2007, I have raised over $42,000 for local charities. I look forward to working on many more paintings in the future that are ingrained in history and rich in tradition.
Being Herky
Here are some shots of the time I was able to put on the bird suit and be Herky the Hawk. I had this opportunity while I was a part of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity at Iowa, the group who managed Herky’s schedule at the time. Like a fraternity, being Herky is not about one person. It is about a team of people who are allowed the chance to walk in the shoes of an icon and represent The University of Iowa. Here are a few photos of Herky in the 80s.
Photos courtesy of my Mom, Pat McNutt and my fellow Herky alums David Ausberger and Bill Cleaver.
MY STORY
©2011 Jeff McNutt. All rights reserved.
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