Bob and Joan Kocher
February 26, 2020
Bob and Joan Kocher: Cone-shaped shoes
In 1959 times were tough, money was tight and Bob Kocher was on the hunt for a new job. “My wife sent hundreds of letters to colleges,” Bob said. “I had never even heard of Coe, and I certainly wasn’t aware of how significant the Art Department was.”
After an interview over Mother’s Day weekend, Bob was offered the position of art professor at Coe. He and his family relocated to Cedar Rapids, and “we’ve been here ever since,” Bob said. That’s 60-plus years of living in Cedar Rapids and 60-plus years of loving Coe.
“I was put to a special test,” Bob said. “Stepping into the shoes of an icon.” Those shoes belonged to artist, Coe professor and Class of 1914 alum Marvin D. Cone.
“I ended up teaching with Marvin for a year before he retired. It was tough to step into his shoes. He was born and raised in Cedar Rapids,” Bob said. “He was so loved, and my work was different. I was not a naturalistic or realistic painter.”
Cone taught French and drawing before being promoted to professor of painting in 1933. He studied in France and taught with heavy French influence.
“My background was completely different. I studied American art history,” Bob said. In fact, Bob was the pioneer of American art history at Coe. He also taught contemporary trends, drawing and painting levels 1, 2 and 3.
Shortly after their move to Iowa, Bob had a realization. “I learned that if you want to succeed as a painter in Iowa, don’t paint big or abstract,” Bob said. Not everyone was a fan of Bob’s art, including his wife, Joan.
“You’ve had such a wonderful life. Why do you make such ugly art,” Joan routinely teased Bob. “There are thousands of people making art. My work is original,” Bob responded with a grin.
In addition to teaching classes, Bob ran Coe’s Fine Arts Festival, a weeklong performance exhibition, for approximately 10 years. “We hosted many important people including [violinist] Isaac Stern and Truman Capote,” Bob said.
Bob wasn’t the only member of the Kocher family dedicated to Coe. Joan served as the first lady of Coe’s Art Department for many years. “In the beginning, I prepared all the food for the Fine Arts Festival, and we hosted many of the participants,” Joan said. “Then I had three children and got busy.” She also was an active member of the Martha Marquis group, bridge club and book club.
Bob and Joan had many opportunities to travel while Bob taught at Coe. They went to Mexico, London, Paris and even spent one of Bob’s sabbaticals in New Mexico where he developed an appreciation for Southwestern art.
They also developed a love of creating art together. Their specialty was Trapunto, two pieces of canvas sewn together, stuffed and painted. Bob would create the design, Joan would sew the pieces together then stuff them and Bob would paint the canvas.
“I couldn’t sew,” Bob said. Which made Bob and Joan the perfect team. “I sewed a great deal and made a lot of our children’s clothing,” Joan said.
Their most well-known piece of Trapunto art is known as “Watermelon and Cactus.” It also happens to be their final piece. “I started pinning the fabric, and it was too painful for my hands,” Joan said. They finished the piece, and that was the end of their time as an art duo.
After Bob retired from Coe with emeritus status, he was asked by then-President James Phifer to serve as curator of Coe’s art collection. Fulfilling that role allowed him to stay actively involved with an institution he had grown to love. Bob wrapped up his role as curator in 2013 but remained active with Coe until his passing.
Bob and Joan have generously shared their lives, time, knowledge and constant guidance and support to Coe students and faculty. “Together, they have given so much to the Coe community,” Associate Professor of Art Jen Hovey Rogers ’03 said. “They religiously attended art openings, plays and musical performances. Furthermore, the Robert and Joan Kocher Visual Art Endowment supports visiting artists who exhibit in the Sinclair Galleries and engage with Coe students, as well as an annual prize awarded to a Coe student.”
When Bob, at the age of 90, was asked about the highlight of his career he didn’t hesitate. “It was our retrospective exhibition because Joan and I were introduced as a team,” Bob said. He was referring to the Robert and Joan Kocher Retrospective Exhibition that served as the 2019-20 academic year opening show in Coe’s Sinclair Galleries.
Their love for each other, their art, Coe and Cedar Rapids kept Bob and Joan active for over six decades.
And those Cone-shaped shoes, once they were broken in, turned out to be rather comfortable.