Mary Kluz: Unsung Woodson Art Museum Hero

 by Jayna Hintz, curator of education

This is a shout out to educational assistant Mary Kluz who for more than 16 years has cut hundreds of shapes, from intricate dinosaurs to simple geometrics, every month for Toddler Tuesday at the Woodson Art Museum.  I develop six themed-based patterns . . . it’s Mary who cuts 100 of each pattern – 600 shapes for art projects enjoyed by little ones, 18 months-4years each month. Mary also completes other art project preparation so swiftly that it pushes me to plan months in advance.

Ever efficient, Mary keeps wasted materials to a minimum. Often when cutting a shape from a piece of paper, she transforms leftover scraps into usable shapes. These carefully packaged pieces are then used for future projects. Got to love Mary’s resourcefulness.

Mary would never seek recognition and won’t be happy with me for bringing her center stage. Sometimes, though, when someone like Mary does a consistently remarkable job, we need to sing her praises!