Who Knew? "Leave It to Beaver" actor Tony Dow, also an artist, will have a sculpture on display at the Louvre

  It was a chance meeting last fall on the set of the KTLA Morning News that has led to one of the day's oddest art news items -- namely that Tony Dow, best known as the actor who portrayed the Beaver's big brother, Wally, on the 1950s family TV series "Leave It to Beaver," will soon have one of his abstract sculptures on display at the Louvre.

Yes, that Louvre, the one in "The Da Vinci Code." But the sculpture isn't going to be permanently installed next to the Mona Lisa or anything: It will be part of the annual Societe National des Beaux-Arts exhibition, held at the Carrousel du Louvre, an exhibition hall within the Louvre.

Still, this is not like renting the place out for a wedding: Two groups of French artists joined forces to inaugurate the exhibition back in 1862, with an eye toward helping new artists gain recognition; writer Theophile Gautier served as its first chairman and painter Aime Millet was deputy chairman.  The committee included painters Eugene Delacroix, Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse and Puvis de Chavannes; among the exhibitors were Charles-Francois Daubigny and Edouard Manet.

  In 1864, after the death of Delacroix, the society ceased to hold exhibitions until its revitalization in 1890.

But back to KTLA: Dow, 63, was a guest on the morning news program with Jerry Mathers, who played the Beav from 1957 to 1963. So was art gallerist Robert Berger, co-owner with Karen Lynne Asher of Karen Lynne Galleries, Inc., with locations in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and Boca Raton, Fla.  Berger was on hand to talk about the gallery''s participation in the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts exhibition at the famed Paris museum.

"The U.S. had never been represented in this show, and the Louvre invited us," says gallery director Jane Gahng of the international show, which will include artists representing Brazil, Canada, China, France, Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United States.

As Gahng tells it, Dow and Berger got to talking, and Berger discovered that, along with his Hollywood career, Dow was an artist and had been sculpting and painting since his teen years. The gallery began representing Dow's work, and this year submitted it, along with that of about 30 other artists representated by Karen Lynne Galleries, as candidates for the same juried exhibition in 2008. The Louvre chose the work of 12 of those artists, including Dow.

Other Karen Lynne Gallery artists represented in the show -- with no known sitcom affiliations -- include sculptor Brian Berman, painter Steven Glucksburg and painter Jorge Lujan.

"Of course I'm really proud of 'Leave it to Beaver' and my directing career in television," Dow told AP news service. "Those are great accomplishments. I'm really proud of them, but this is interesting because I don't think they know anything about that."

The sculpture, "Unarmed Warrior,"is a bronze figure of a woman holding a shield. It will be on display at  the Louvre Dec. 11-14.

--Diane Haithman

Photo: Tony Dow. Credit: Damian Dovarganes/AP

Photo: "Unarmed Warrior." Credit: Blair Hayes/AP

Comments

[Phil Peterson]

I loved Tony in that B-movie called "It takes an Ax in the Morning". His grin was infectious, even as I remember it today, but that was 40+ years ago. I hope he'll be open to a guest appearance on "Law and Order", or "The Office", as I think his timing for comedy would be put to good usage. I had hoped that Peter Fonda would have cast Dow in "Easy Rider" instead of Jack Nicholson...oh well...perhaps making sculptures is more rewarding.

[Eric]

Sorry, Wally, but you are not up there with Leonardo quite yet. The Carrousel du Louvre is not a part of the Louvre Museum but is an underground shopping mall adjacent to the Louvre that also houses a Virgin Megastore, a branch of Sephora and a Tie Rack. There are often such exhibitions there, as well as fashion shows, bridal shows and the like.

Showing a sculpture at the Carrousel is no more like showing it at the actual Louvre than, say, showing one at the Beverly Center or the Grove would be like having an exhibit at the Getty or at LACMA.

Really, LAT you are far too credible. You bought this gallery owner's pr hook, line and sinker.

[daisy]

Eric, did you read the article? It makes it quite clear that this exhibit is within the building that houses the Louvre, and is not actually part of the museum itself.

[InkPositive]

Louvre or the Groove. Who cares? Why can't people be happy when good things happen to others?

[Tangled Web]

really people.....cant we simply just say "congrats" to Mr. Dow for his accomplishment.......that the United States will now be represented in France during this Exhibition?? As to the exact "G.P.S." location at The Louvre - who cares? You say tomato,
I say tomahto......!!

[Judy Brown]

Well, I am impressed. I just read it in our paper. And wow, what an honor, Just to be able to actually make a sculpture. I would be happy if I could do that and it would be in a shopping mall.
My son used to do this, and his is displayed in odd places, none the less, it is out there in public.
Just say congrats, Tony Dow. You are still very talented and at least you are not sitting on your can and watching tv and commenting on peoples merits with such negativity. You rock!!!!!
I am very, very impressed and I think you are still as handsome as ever,

I hate negativity.

[David]

Golly Eric, stop givin' Wally the business!

[Stephanie]

Even though this isn't the Louvre who cares! I think his work is beautiful and he is obviously incredibly gifted. I agree with some of the other posters, why put down someones achievements?

[Hernan Miguel Martinez]

Quite frankly, Tony Dow's piece is as good as any sculpture put out by Richard Serra. The only difference is that Serra's has been "approved" by the "artspeak" crowd at ArtNews and Art in America.

[Jaymes Aimetti]

I agree Ink, there's always someone to rain on your parade. It's not nice to be green in this case.

[Tom 55]

Mr. Dow has done good for himself and the United states in the art world.
his tv buddy who used to play eddy haskel went on to be a pollice officer.
That was his contribution to mankind. It's nice to see somebody make good in
a way that will benefit others....whether it's as a Police officer, or an artist, or
a soldier,sailor,marine, or airman, or a medical person(nurse,doctor,paramedic,
scientist,etc).

[zoom]

yuck.

[Justin Edwards]

A Fascinating discovery has been made. While investigating an unknown painting signed Manet, researchers at the Laure & Lee Art Association discovered the presence of a long lost painting of Edouard Manet titled “La Toilette”. Scholars of Manet like Juliet Wilson Bareau and others have said that La Toilette has been over painted or destroyed and that only x-ray of Manet’s canvases would reveal it location. Here is a link of the YouTube HD video which shows the etching superimposed on top of the x-ray. To view the video in HD simply click on the HD link at the bottom right side of the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIX_bP-fSFg&feature=channel_page

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/edouard-manets-lost-painted-of-la-toilette-found-by-x-ray-in-an-unknown-work-signed-manet/2946022395

[Sue Southern]

Interesting range of comments! I hope Tony lets the negative ones wash over him; I think it is WONDERFUL that he has talents that have gone far beyond "child actor". I think the sculpture is beautiful, too. Congratulations to Tony on this latest accomplishment! I'm sure there are many others that most of us are not aware of. Glad to hear you are doing well, and you look pretty good, too ! Thanks for everything.

[R Mann]

As a lengthy friend of Tony, I can assure you that aside from his reputed adolescent role on an all american TV series, he is a, bright, proactive and aesthetically conscious contributor to our society. Tony and his multi-talented wife Lauren, are also very strategically accomplished viewers of the game show "Jeopardy" I don't know what the Dow's aren't extremely good at.

We wish them good; work, luck and health.
Carry-on Tony, Lauren and their rare and unusual dog...Bodie!

[Yo!]

Tony Dow has a new website! At www.tonydowsculpture.com

[Bobs Ur Uncle]

Tony did some webisodes for a tech company that he links to as well. Pretty funny.

http://tonydowsculpture.com/Tony_Dow_Movies/CalNetTech.html