Art for Art’s Sake
On December 2, 2015, I sent out two separate emails, detailing estimates for labor, materials, and production timelines for both the 14’ x 20’ mural project and the 19-drop restoration project. I was very clear that as the mural project happened first, any delay would influence the restoration project.
The timeline for mural project included specific target dates to stay on track:
1.) Finalize design and create renderings for King Solomon’s Temple mural (December 15, 2015-January 15, 2016).
2.) Secure painting space/construct paint frame by January 15, 2016.
3.) Prep space and drop off mural supplies (January 15, 2016 to February 1, 2016).
4.) Paint Temple Mural (February 1-February 26, 2016).
5.) Possibly paint side murals (February 29, 2016 to March 31, 2016). The total number of side murals, if any, will depend upon the complexity of composition and completion date of Temple mural.
6.) Completed mural will be rolled, encapsulated in plastic, and stored onsite.”
The timeline for the restoration also included very specific target dates to ensure the completion of 19 drops:
1.) Remove and transport all necessary battens to MMHC stage on April 1,
2016. This required a rental truck and labor to transport approximately 1,710
linear feet of pine boards, weighing approximately 1500 lbs. I would supervise four individuals to complete this task.
2.) Remove 19 drops from storage April 2, 2015, and move to MMHC stage, necessitating a rental truck and four individuals to move the drops.
3.) Scenery restoration of 19 drops from April 4, 2016 to June 3, 2015.
4.) Hanging of the 19 drops from June 6 to June 11, 2016. An additional week would be reserved on the stage as a contingency for extenuating circumstances or delays.
For the restoration project, we would solely focus on the backdrops at first. Besides, they would be the most impressive for the opening, giving the public a sense of the collection. The drops would be presented as “Artwork by Thomas G. Moses” and not general historic scenery. Each backdrop would be a stand-alone painting, depicting a portion of a scene that still remained to be restored. This would also facilitate their promotion as a large-scale artworks created by a nationally recognized artist.
I estimated that it would take 38 days to clean and stabilize 19 drops, not including transportation to the theatre or set up. The 19 backdrops for the opening would include the
Cathedral (used for multiple degrees),
Woods (used for multiple degrees),
Cave (9th degree),
Treasure Chamber (15th degree),
Classical Interior (31st degree),
Egyptian Interior (31st degree),
Jacques de Molay Mausoleum (30th degree),
the INRI landscape (18th degree),
Darius’ Festival Palace (16th degree),
Camp Tent and backing (32nd degree),
Secret Vault (14th degree),
Grand Encampment (32nd degree),
Hiram’s Tomb (5th degree),
Catacombs (30th degree),
Gothic Interior/Dungeon (27th -29th degrees),
Hades (18th degree),
Constellation scene (Faith, Hope and Charity for the 18th degree),
and the Volcano landscape (17th degree)
I was shocked on January 13, 2016, when the CEO asked for all of this information again as all of the specifics had all been submitted a month prior and discussed multiple times. My uneasiness grew as I began to think that my employer had no comprehension of how much work was involved in the projects. I had never had this difficulty with anyone and started to wonder if this was a result of his skimming email content. I started to have a very bad feeling about the entire endeavor. Would all this money go to waste in the end?
It was at this point that the general director called me into his office, proposing that he really needed to help me and explained that I had extremely poor communication skills. He had worked with the CEO for years in other venues and suggested that he could provide a friendly barrier for me with the CEO. My only job was to request that general director be my immediate supervisor instead of the CEO.
Right now, we were on equal footing at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Each of our positions reported directed to the CEO. He was the General Director, responsible for the running of the facility. I was the Curatorial Director, responsible for all acquisitions, content, and presentation of materials to the public.
I smiled politely, thanked him for the advice, and explained that I had always been capable of speaking for myself.
To be continued…
