Double trouble makes good company
Reconstitution installed in Lathrop Gallery at the Hood Museum of Art. Photo by Brian Wagner.
From the desk of Executive Director Tricia Soule:
At this writing, it is a cool 55 degrees here at the patio table – summer departed as quickly as it arrived – and the cooler weather will soon be settling in for good. I am struck by how much time has passed since I met with Joanne Wise for a socially distant lunch on one of those scorching days back in July.
I asked Joanne to get together for some much-needed social interaction and, of course, art talk! Joanne is an arts advocate who helped start the Upper Valley Arts Alliance. She puts her heart into her work with organizations like the NH State Council on the Arts and NH Creative Communities Network. In fact, we met just days into my tenure at the New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts when I attended a workshop put on by the NH Creative Communities Network and then at our Arts Awards Gala in May of 2019. I found her creative spark enlivening and hoped we would have a chance to collaborate.
When I learned that she was once a corporate art consultant in Houston, I was further determined to find a way to work with her. Joanne represented contemporary Japanese artists whose work she collected while living in Tokyo from 1978-1982. She sold original works of art to corporations in the banking and energy sectors. This resonated with me. As a former gallery owner, I spent a great deal of time working with local businesses to incorporate art into their offices. While Joanne talked about her sense of satisfaction in finding just the right work of art for her clients, I recalled my excitement each time I was able to place an artist’s work in an office lobby or conference room.
Nearly a year ago (again, I wonder where the time has gone!) Joanne graciously invited me into her lovely art-filled home and allowed me to pitch an idea for us to work together on a new NHBCA initiative. First, she wanted to get the lowdown on what I was up to at the NHBCA by asking penetrating questions about my vision for the organization and how I was going to engage more broadly in communities around the state. She was particularly interested in my plans for the Upper Valley. The perfect segue!
I told her how the NHBCA was developing new and exciting ways for business and arts leaders to come together at our Artful Networking events where they could enjoy art-related experiences together and directly interact with working artists. Joanne and I agreed that only by bringing people together from diverse backgrounds can mutually beneficial relationships be established. We quickly got to work on hosting Artful Networking at the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College!
With generous sponsors lined up, including Hypertherm and Ledyard National Bank, we visited the Museum to meet with the staff to work out the details and figure out the logistics for the cocktail reception. Joanne, who loves touring friends around, gave me an abbreviated tour of the exhibitions in the impressive new galleries. In early March, before the world came to a screeching halt because of the pandemic, we welcomed business professionals, leaders of arts and cultural organizations, NHBCA Directors as well as individual artists for a behind-the-scenes tour with John Stomberg, the Museum’s Virginia Rice Kelsey 1961s Director. John is all at once a brilliant and engaging scholar who couldn’t be more down to earth and approachable. He graciously gave us a firsthand look at one of the state’s most revered art institutions, which recently completed a $50 million expansion and renovation project. It was the first visit for most of the attendees to see the Museum since it reopened, making it an extra special opportunity for our guests. John’s humor and wit were well received against a backdrop of ancient low relief carved wall panels from Mesopotamia. He revealed aspects of the building’s new design and architecture while introducing us to the paintings on display by Professor Colleen Randall. Guests also delighted in having time to explore on their own. All were in high spirits discovering interesting objects and following up with John to learn more. It was a dynamic gathering as people listened intently as John spoke of ancient art then seamlessly turned his, and our, attention to contemporary American artists like Renee Cox whose work was featured in the exhibition entitled Reconstitution. There’s no doubt that the conversations that ensued, well into the evening, were inspired by the art.
Interactions like this are the crux of the NHBCA’s Artful Networking. Through shared art-related experiences, conversations occur naturally and, in turn, break down barriers between people who might not otherwise have the chance to meet. The arts serve as a catalyst for communication, which is the driving force for any successful collaboration. This brings me back to my visit with Joanne over the summer. Suffice it to say that by the time lunch was over, we had cooked up some new ideas for bringing together the business and arts – when the time is right, of course. Stay tuned!
Joanne and I just had to meet up again for lunch (outside) — here we are last week duking it out to see who would get the check! Photo courtesy of a good-humored staff member at the Flying Goose in New London.