The group seeking to renovate the Dove Block in downtown Geneva recently hosted a visit from a renown scholar of painter Arthur Dove. Rachael DeLue is a Princeton professor and the author of Arthur Dove: Always Connect, which was published in 2016. In the course of researching and writing the book, DeLue found she had to challenge the traditional narrative about Arthur Dove.
DeLue also found reason to question accounts of Dove’s time in Geneva, both in her research for the book and during her March visit, which included her first examination of the archives of the Geneva Historical Society.
This was likely only the first of many visits to Geneva for DeLue. She has joined the Board of Directors of the non-profit Arthur Dove Tribute Group. Their efforts to establish a permanent museum on the third floor of the Dove Block received a boost earlier this year. The City of Geneva recommended 300-thousand-dollars in funds for the group as part of the City’s proposed 10-million-dollar Downtown Revitalization Initiative Grant. The decision on the DRI grant is expected in early June.
