Other early residents of Drop City include:
John Curl, a writer and poet;
Charlie DiJulio, an artist and filmmaker;
Richard Kallweit, an artist, photographer & sculptor;
Jalal Quinn, an artist
Clark Richert grew up in Wichita, Kansas, in a Mennonite community that preached non-violence and simple living. Clark was destined for a career in science, when he discovered Abstract Expressionism and realized that he would be an artist. Clark and Gene met as students at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, where they staged the first "droppings," conceptual artworks that included objects that were dropped from the roof of a loft space onto the street below.
Clark is currently a Professor of Painting at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver, Colorado. His work is exhibited throughout the country.
JoAnn and Gene Bernofsky grew up and were married in Brooklyn, New York. Their parents were Eastern European Jewish immigrants and staunch union organizers. Gene was named after Eugene Debs, a hero of the American labor movement. JoAnn was educated under the system of Friedrich Froebel, which emphasized learning through creative geometric play, a system that Frank Lloyd Wright cited as a primary influence on his work.
Gene has made more than 40 films, and now produces advocacy films on environmental issues. Jo is a retired teacher, ceramic artist, and weaver. They live in Missoula, Montana.
Drop City’s founders called themselves “droppers” in reference to their original and self-stylized form of conceptual art. The term “Drop Art” was coined well before the era-branding slogan, “Turn on, tune in, drop out.”
A documentary film by Joan Grossman & Tom McCourt
Peter Rabbit (aka Peter Douthit), is a writer and poet who now lives in Taos, New Mexico. After living in Drop City he helped found the artists’ community, Libre, in Colorado, which is still active. In this audio clip he is reading from his book, Drop City (published in 1971, currently out of print).
