NYC Art Gallery Owner, Minnesota Native Dr. John Driscoll Dies Of COVID-19
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The death of a New York art gallery owner is being felt by a small Minnesota town.
"He was a historian, a scholar, an art dealer. A ceramics collector and a poet. All of these things tied back to his upbringing in Clarkfield, Minnesota," said Emily Driscoll.
John Driscoll grew up in a town of about 800 but made his mark in a city of 8 million. He fell in love with art at an early age.
"He tells this story about when he was 10-years-old and he went to the Minneapolis Art Institute and he saw his first painting. It went through him like a freight train," said Emily, John's daughter.
In 1985, John bought the oldest art gallery in New York City-but his most treasured piece may have been a Warren McKenzie pot that contained soil from his home town.
"He kept that pot on the far left corner of his desk. Not only that he had a gold embossed tin that he kept earth from around Clarkfield in his pocket," said Emily.
John's love for his home state showed-through in his work.
He would host shows at his gallery that featured Minnesota artists and every summer he'd take Emily back to the State Fair where they would visit artists in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
"He would take me to Gene and Lucy Tokheim's studio when we would visit Minnesota. He always found a way to support artists and keep them close," said Emily.
But sadly, on April 10 after a battle with COVID-19, John passed away at the age of 70.
"Video chats were the best way to communicate during times when people weren't allowed to be in the hospital. Unfortunately, you can't support family members in other ways so that was a lifeline for us," said Emily.
Emily is thankful for what health care workers did for her father and finds peace in knowing her city celebrates them every night. She knows they're doing their best to help families like hers.
"I treasure all my time with my dad. Our visits to Minnesota. I'll always carry that with me," said Emily.
Emily said her father did everything he could to avoid getting sick. She said she feels for other families going through similar situations, and she believes social distancing is key to battling COVID- 19.
