Faces of Southeast Missouri: Keith Holloway

Keith Holloway of Cape Girardeau has been collecting artwork by Dr. Suess and Jerry Garcia for almost 30 years. At first glance, it may seem these two artists are at opposite sides of the creative spectrum, but to Keith, who loves the color combinations and varied types of mediums and styles they use, “it’s good art.”

Keith started visiting art galleries with his wife, Kathy, any time they ended up in the downtown of a big city. Oftentimes, these opportunities were on business trips or while traveling with their two boys for soccer tournaments. Together, they would talk about the pieces they might buy, which they liked best or where the artwork would go in the house. Keith was especially drawn to the work of Garcia, lead guitarist and vocalist of the Grateful Dead, because he liked the connection between art and music. The more he learned about the stories behind the art and the inspiration for each piece, the more he was drawn to it.

But it wasn’t until 1994, after a Grateful Dead concert, that Keith bought his first piece of art from a gallery in Denver. The print was a Garcia pen and ink called “The Danse.” Garcia had been at the same gallery for an art showing just 24 hours before Keith and his wife arrived. A true deadhead, Keith was excited about the purchase. And while he doesn’t believe “The Danse” is Garcia’s best work, it’s the one that started his collection of the 32 signed and numbered Garcia prints he owns today.

“I like the pen and ink,” says Keith, who claims he himself “can’t hardly draw a glass of water.” “And Garcia’s color combinations. The uniqueness. They’re dream-like and varied.”

A few years later, in 1998, Keith purchased his first piece of art by Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Suess. While he was familiar with Suess’ work as a children’s author and illustrator, Keith learned the man behind the pen name was also an avid scuba diver like himself. According to Keith, the art was “so unusual and far out” that he really loved it. The vivid colors and fluidity of the work often reminded him of the life he saw under the ocean.

Today, Keith’s collection of Suess’ art includes 24 signed and numbered prints, plus nine of his unorthodox taxidermy wall hangings and plaster casts. While many of his Garcia prints are small in size, several pieces in the Seuss collection are large. All of them are very limited collections with certificates of authenticity. And between his home, work office and lake house, everything is on display.

“I’m glad he has something he can see in his home that makes him so happy,” Kathy says. “They’re lovely. A lot of it is big. And at our age, we have to be realistic that going forward, we will be living in smaller spaces.”

Purchasing new art, at this point, will require a bit of discipline, especially when it comes to larger pieces. As a patron of several art galleries, Keith gets notified when a new print is being released. Sometimes, he purchases them for himself, and other times, he gifts them to a family member or friend. His favorite Garcia piece is “California Mission;” his favorite Suess piece is “Kangaroo Bird.” Eventually, he may donate them to his alma mater Mizzou or Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., the town he was raised in. But for now, Keith plans to enjoy what he’s got.