I love being a curator. After thirty-three years, each day
is still a surprise, the challenges a thrill (if not daunting), and the rewards
unending.
Take yesterday as one of my “typical” days.
Awaiting me was a recently delivered package that contained
a beautiful pencil sketch, a gift for the Museum’s collection from Catherine McClung. A thick manila envelope also awaited. Its contents revealed dozens of
pages of legalese affirming that the Woodson Art Museum is a beneficiary of a
Harry Adamson painting.
An email message from Woodson Art Museum director Kathy
Foley confirmed that funding is in place for a publication to accompany the fall
debut of the BMO Harris Bank gift of the M&I Bank Owen Gromme paintings. Although
not a surprise, we now can move forward pulling together the various elements
to produce the publication. Oh, yes, and the deadline is only two months away.
Now, that’s a challenge!
A recent email message from Marcia Theel, a longtime
colleague and friend, reminded me of how much the Museum’s collection has
grown. We often discussed organizing one- or two-person exhibitions using the
collection, but at the time the depth wasn’t there. Twelve years ago it was
only a dream, but now – thanks to several generous gifts – it’s feasible.
A perfect example is the current exhibition An Abundances of Riches: The Woodcuts of
Andrea Rich. Andrea’s gifts to the Museum’s collection began in 2000 with
the first 129 of her woodcuts; subsequent gifts bring the total to 240. With
such a large body of work from which to draw, the difficulty in curating the
exhibition was the limited gallery space in which to display her work. An Abundance of Riches, on view through
August 12, comprises fifty-five works featuring birds, animals, butterflies,
and landscapes.
I recently walked through the galleries with a childhood
friend, Marsha, who also happens to be Andrea’s cousin. We discussed Andrea,
the artworks, and the immense challenge of creating a woodcut. Both of us have
witnessed Andrea at work and we marvel at her skill, artistry, and mastery of
her subject so exquisitely evident in each design.
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