Norton Dodge
Encyclopedia
Norton Townshend Dodge was an American economist
who has amassed one of the largest collections of Soviet-era art
outside the Soviet Union
.
under Joseph Stalin
, Dodge smuggled into the West the works of dissident
artists, painters and sculptors in the former Soviet Union
. He continued to acquire art and meet clandestinely with artists, often at great personal risk, till the death of dissident artist Evgeny Rukhin
and the coming of perestroika
. He managed to smuggle nearly 10,000 works of art from the USSR to the United States during the height of the Cold War
. Dodge's role in the preservation and patronage of art disallowed by the government led to his being called "the Lorenzo de' Medici
of Russian art" (Elena Kornetchuk in Mcphee 1994)." Dodge's work is detailed at length in John McPhee
's The Ransom of Russian Art (1994).
Dodge appears in an Andrei Zagdansky
documentary Vasya
(2002) about a Russian Nonconformist artist Vasily Sitnikov
. The latest award-winning documentary about Norton Dodge and his unique art collection "The Russian Concept: Reflections on Russian Non-Conformist Art" was produced in 2009 by Igor Sopronenko.
The Norton and Nancy Dodge Collection of Soviet Nonconformist Art
, which contains roughly 20,000 works of art, was donated to Rutgers University
in the mid-1990s, where it is on permanent display at the University's Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
.
Dodge is one of the founding board members of the Kolodzei Art Foundation
, a US-based group dedicated to advancing the study of Russian non-conformist art.
, Dodge first traveled to the USSR in 1955, ostensibly to study tractors as part of his research for a Ph.D.
from Harvard University. He completed his doctorate in 1960, with the thesis
Trends in Labor Productivity
in the Soviet Tractor Industry: a Case Study in Industrial Development. Johns Hopkins University Press
published his research on women's roles in the Soviet economy in 1966 as Women in the Soviet Economy : Their Role in Economic, Scientific, and Technical Development. Dodge was a professor of economics at the University of Maryland, College Park
for over twenty years until 1980 when he took a post at St. Mary's College in southern Maryland. He retired from St. Mary's in 1988.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
who has amassed one of the largest collections of Soviet-era art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
outside the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Art collection
A Sovietologist who did pioneering work on the role of womenWomen's studies
Women's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
under Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, Dodge smuggled into the West the works of dissident
Dissident
A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
artists, painters and sculptors in the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He continued to acquire art and meet clandestinely with artists, often at great personal risk, till the death of dissident artist Evgeny Rukhin
Evgeny Rukhin
Evgeny Rukhin was a Russian Non-Conformist painter.He was born in Saratov, Russia into a family of scientists. He began painting at the age of twenty, during his geological studies. His paintings were highly controversial. He was Russian Non-conformist artist working in Leningrad in the 1960s and...
and the coming of perestroika
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
. He managed to smuggle nearly 10,000 works of art from the USSR to the United States during the height of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Dodge's role in the preservation and patronage of art disallowed by the government led to his being called "the Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de' Medici was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent by contemporary Florentines, he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists and poets...
of Russian art" (Elena Kornetchuk in Mcphee 1994)." Dodge's work is detailed at length in John McPhee
John McPhee
John Angus McPhee is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, widely considered one of the pioneers of creative nonfiction....
's The Ransom of Russian Art (1994).
Dodge appears in an Andrei Zagdansky
Andrei Zagdansky
Andrei Zagdansky is an American and Russian/Ukrainian independent documentary filmmaker.-Biography:Zagdansky attended Kiev State Institute of Theatrical Arts, graduating in 1979. He worked as a film director for Kievnauchfilm studio in Kiev from 1981 through 1988, and at film studio Thursday from...
documentary Vasya
Vasya (film)
Vasya is a 2002 American documentary film written, directed and produced by Andrei Zagdansky. The film tells the story of Russian underground artist Vasily Sitnikov, who was declared insane in early 1940’s by the Soviet authorities...
(2002) about a Russian Nonconformist artist Vasily Sitnikov
Vasily Sitnikov
Vasily Yakovlevich Sitnikov was a Russian painter. He was one of the most vivid “landmark” figures of the post-war Soviet Nonconformist Art of Russia, and a living legend in Moscow artistic milieu....
. The latest award-winning documentary about Norton Dodge and his unique art collection "The Russian Concept: Reflections on Russian Non-Conformist Art" was produced in 2009 by Igor Sopronenko.
The Norton and Nancy Dodge Collection of Soviet Nonconformist Art
Norton and Nancy Dodge Collection of Soviet Nonconformist Art
The Dodge Collection is the largest collection of Soviet Nonconformist Art in existence.The collection was amassed by an economics professor from the University of Maryland, Norton Dodge, from the late 1950s until the advent of Perestroika. The collection comprises roughly 20,000 works of art and...
, which contains roughly 20,000 works of art, was donated to Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in the mid-1990s, where it is on permanent display at the University's Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum is located on the Voorhees Mall of the campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It was founded in 1966...
.
Dodge is one of the founding board members of the Kolodzei Art Foundation
Kolodzei Art Foundation
The Kolodzei Art Foundation, Inc. promotes the contemporary art of Russia and the former Soviet Union. The Kolodzei Art Foundation often utilizes the artistic resources of the Kolodzei Collection of Russian and Eastern European Art, one of the world’s largest private collections, with over 7,000...
, a US-based group dedicated to advancing the study of Russian non-conformist art.
Education and teaching
A native Oklahoman and graduate of Deep Springs CollegeDeep Springs College
Deep Springs is a private, all-male , alternative college in Deep Springs, California, in the United States. A two-year college, the institution currently aims for a student body size of 26, though the number is occasionally lower...
, Dodge first traveled to the USSR in 1955, ostensibly to study tractors as part of his research for a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Harvard University. He completed his doctorate in 1960, with the thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
Trends in Labor Productivity
Productivity
Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of production. Productivity is a ratio of what is produced to what is required to produce it. Usually this ratio is in the form of an average, expressing the total output divided by the total input...
in the Soviet Tractor Industry: a Case Study in Industrial Development. Johns Hopkins University Press
Johns Hopkins University Press
The Johns Hopkins University Press is the publishing division of the Johns Hopkins University. It was founded in 1878 and holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously running university press in the United States. The Press publishes books, journals, and electronic databases...
published his research on women's roles in the Soviet economy in 1966 as Women in the Soviet Economy : Their Role in Economic, Scientific, and Technical Development. Dodge was a professor of economics at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
for over twenty years until 1980 when he took a post at St. Mary's College in southern Maryland. He retired from St. Mary's in 1988.