Wednesday 30 March 2011 Behind the scenes at the Museum

March 29, 2011 The excitement builds. The painters arrived this morning to paint the title wall a soothing gray-sage, a highly Rowlandson color, so fond he was of this and sky blue, pale yellow, anything tinted. He would be pleased, I’m sure. They queried me—do you want the sides of the wall painted, too? No. Do you want that little strip at the top painted? Nope. Just the face of the wall, I said. Good, they smiled. So all was well and I went upstairs to tend to the dozen emails that had arrived—from the sign maker, from a blogger in Argentina wanting a catalogue to review, from the college’s p.r. department giving an update on the press coming this afternoon to hear about the show, also to see the permanent collection, and half a dozen from the public relations coordinator who had just returned from a quite lovely trip I’m sure to the English countryside.

The co-speaker for the opening event just dashed into the office. Did you look up the image on Google? No, not yet. He’s been inspired by Rowlandson, and has newly discovered works by others that Rowlandson was likely looking at when he made some of the most interesting works in the show. But, then, folks will find this out at the April 8th opening event, and, perhaps, in an article, too, I hope.

Back to the painters in the gallery. They’ve started the second coat. Oh, good. No surprises. Just what I wanted.

The painters have left now, and I’m returning to the office. I need to revise a timeline for the big day and tend to other matters. Until tomorrow.

Patricia Phagan, The Philip and Lynn Straus Curator of Prints and Drawings at The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center