The Bigger Picture
I believe that we all have a calling, even if we don’t know what it is yet. I was lucky enough to recognize mine fairly early in life and have had the opportunities to follow it. I also had the support of my family to follow this dream. The other day, my husband said, “What I love about you is that your philosophy and art are so intertwined.” I love scenery restoration, probably more so than designing and painting new scenery. It is the treasure hunt, the preservation, and the legacy that appeals to me.
My involvement at any historic theater continues well after the work is completed. I have always done more than any contract stipulated and look back at restoration projects where I consistently went above and beyond expectations. I did the same thing during the planning and construction of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, first as an historical consultant and later as a Curatorial Director. When a person’s passion and work intersect, they throw themselves into every little detail of the project.
I recognize that for many people, work is simply a job. They are grateful to leave all thoughts and duties behind when they leave their workplace each day. Others cannot escape their jobs as it follows them home, making them bitter toward their employers at this personal invasion on their days off. It is easy to identify those who love their work and those who simply collect a paycheck. Any business, especially theaters and museums, are never successfully run when the staff simply shows up to collect a paycheck. There is no personal investment. In the Arts, as with many other fields, employees really need to feel appreciated and believe that their work is important in the bigger picture. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to the field of performing arts, as there is always a bigger picture for each individual production.
The discoveries that I have been able to connect over the past three years make all of the betrayals, pain, and suffering worthwhile because I am looking at the bigger picture. I was able to examine historical scenery collections in Santa Fe, NM, Fort Scott, KS, Wichita, KS, Guthrie, OK, Pasadena, CA, Austin, TX, Quincy, IL, Moline, IL, and St. Louis, MO, between August 2015 and March 2017. This was in addition to years of studying other scenery collections across the country. But what made this recent comparison different was that I was now viewing the origin of fraternal scenery in a different light, one resulting from the new research that I had discovered in the diaries of Thomas Moses, collections at the Performing Arts Archives (U of MN), and documents at the Harry Ransom Center (UT Austin).
I look back at the destruction of Thomas Moses’ Fort Scott scenery collection as one of many examples of botched restorations that have recently come to light, including the fresco re-paintings in Spain and China. Sadly, I am sure that there will be more.
As I previously noted, it is like looking at a precious family heirloom that has smashed to the floor and cannot be put back together again. We will continue to watch the destruction of historical scenery collections worldwide.
It would be easy to attribute all of the current wrongs to the CEO, portraying him as some “Godfather” in the Minnesota Masonic Mafia. But that credits him with too much influence, power and intelligence. He might have the financial backing to do and build whatever he pleases, but Freemasonry is more than any one person, one Grand Master, one Sovereign Grand Inspector General, one Grand Commander, or one Masonic Charities CEO.
Freemasonry is more than its leaders, buildings, rituals and artifacts. It is an inculcated philosophy on how to live life and treat others. As with any philosophy, emphasis is placed on the individual’s journey and growth, the point of which is an underlying connection between members. Freemasonry not only links local individuals, but also crosses the bounds of national, political, and religious associations. I choose to look at the bigger picture of what Freemasonry is and how it can continue to change the world.
Similarly, the drops that Thomas Moses created for Fort Scott established links to other scenic artists, historical painting techniques, and theatre installations worldwide. I choose to look at the damaged Fort Scott scenery as an opportunity to begin discussions on the proper handling of historical theatre collections. I’ll now start examining the placement of Thomas Moses and Fort Scott within a bigger picture, explaining why this is such an important collection that should have been carefully preserved for future generations.
To be continued…
