Dave Jones, former facilities manager
A long time ago, in the age of printed newspapers, the kind you could get from a metal box on a street corner, I read a classified ad. It was a call for volunteers to help with an outdoor sculpture project at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.
Art has been integral to my life from early childhood. I found refuge in drawing, every day, any subject, often in class when I should have been paying attention to another subject.
I managed to make it through public school, despite all the daydreaming, and ended up in art school in the big city. Milwaukee in the early 1980s, the Third Ward was an operating warehouse district with trucks idling at loading platforms, dark and sooty beneath the elevated expressway. I studied fine art, sculpture, and drawing specifically, and learned to appreciate the material aspect and physical effort involved.
Reality dictated a “practical” career path. Carpentry and furniture making became my primary medium. The aroma of freshly cut wood, and some hearing loss, came to define my professional life.
It was a downturn in the housing and construction industry which led to a renewed interest in fine art. I suddenly had the time for watercolor painting and drawing. I participated in local art exhibitions. I sat on my patio with a cup of coffee and a newspaper. I read that classified ad.
I was lucky enough to be accepted as a member of the volunteer team working on Steven Siegel’s 2011 site-specific paper sculpture at the Woodson Art Museum. That was 15 years ago. I never left. Until now.
Today is my first day of retirement from the Museum. It’s been a great privilege to work here, thanks to all of you who have made this chapter possible. I’m looking forward to more time with my supportive wife, Karen. We have grandchildren to visit, new landscapes to explore, and birds to see.
While my days of reading the classifieds are over, if you see an opportunity for an opening at the Woodson Art Museum, I suggest you jump at the chance.
