Art gallery or shooting gallery… Where do you fit?

We all want to feel welcome and that we fit it in.  As an exhibition designer, my goal is always to put people at ease as they enter a museum gallery.   I stated that fact …live on WWL radio’s “sports talk”.  I had agreed to be on air talking about the new Saints Hall of Fame Museum we just opened.

As the show’s opening theme music played, I questioned myself for agreeing to do this interview and respond to listeners’ phoned-in questions.  Everything was fine until half way through the program, the popular sportscaster asked “What position did you play in college”?  My confession shocked him.  I had never played a team sport.  And I was 17 years old before any one showed me the proper way to hold a football.

“Did you ever think you weren’t qualified to design a museum for a professional NFL team?” he blurted. Without a moment of hesitation, I responded,  “I do museums on all types of topics and it is better not knowing anything.  I feel comfortable asking all the dumb questions so the visitor doesn’t have to.”  He was immediately put at ease…and so was I.

As the Witter Gallery’s first director in 1973, my favorite thing was to become spontaneously engaged in conversation with a visitor about a particular piece of artwork on display.  Shared thoughts  flowed in an inspiring way… truly an “aha” moment.

The folk art quality of painted walking sticks puts us at ease.  During my exhibition — FUTURISTICKS - An Exploration Beyond — you are invited to make your own stick and join in deep in conversations about AI, robots and the future as we whittle-awhile.  We might be surprised at how comfortable it will be sharing thoughts with one another.  There will be no doubt, we all can fit in an art gallery.

The Witter Gallery will offer free opportunities to “Whittle-awhile-by-the-lake-with-Linge” in late July prior to the exhibition’s close on July 27.  Find a stick, cut a branch or sign up to reserve a Mississippi River willow provided by Gordon.  Watch for dates and times to be announced soon.