2 Comments

1. 

   Thomas Woyte on February 5, 2022 at 5:11 am

   Dear John, I am a first time listener. You can blame David Hummer for that. I ran into him outside his/ our town’s treasured Museum of Contemporary Art. You are quite right in saying he is “BRILLIANT!” Your interview is terrific. Great fun ! ( I too have a strange habit of increasing my time in cold cold water, but so far just a couple times a day in the sh sh shower!)

   I first met David and experienced a soul -stirring, life changing exhibit on my very first day (I wrangled my way in!) of a 28-day AODA treatment program at Northcentral Healthcare-
   imagine! A field trip with 20 other alcoholic/ addicts in (very) early recovery being treated like VIPs, wide-eyed and overwhelmed quite honestly by the kindness respect encouragement from total strangers becoming friends,
   and such beauty of many of the most spectacular, stunning paIntings from around the world by many of the most gifted artists of our time. Right here in little old Wausau, Wisconsin. I was and am inspired and grateful. As David said in this Podcast of the artists who stuck their necks out and trusted during the pandemic, and kept the Museum’s doors open, and were rewarded for their courage and faith…
   like recovery, these herculian tasks of renovating ballrooms, and opening new museums, can only be accomplished in time, with a lot of caring, intelligent, compassionate (& incredibly creative) people coming together and working very hard to accomplish the seemingly impossible.
   I look forward to (no fooling) April 1st opening of “Salon De Refuse”, floor to ceiling wall to wall paintings, how many 500 perhaps? Cool.
   And Mr. Hummer’s new gallery (and professional picture framing) “DAnthony” will open at about the same time, and then, … he will give himself and all of us “Permission” to go off the grid… as he and every artist (&writer, too) feels compelled, pulled, pushed, inspired by a very basic elementary need to experiment and play… thank you!!
   Then will come the 6th “Painting The Figure Now” exhibit. And then… there’ll be the permanent collection, students and teachers and people like you and me who just need their hearts and minds eased and opened and our worries and aches and pain melted and souls touched by art, and the people who love art so much it is their life blood and joy.
   There will be music and laughter, and fine food with friends sipping colorful concoctions from sparkly glasses and colorful plates and impeccably dressed friendly folks in a renovated ballroom booked with some spectacular events… weddings and anniversaries and graduations and retirements, memorial parties, music and just maybe, some first time visitors on their first sober days seeing there’s a much better way to joy, and peace, hope and love and inspiration.

   Thank you David. I felt the love years ago, as I did that frigid morning a few days ago out thrre on the sidewalk in front of my MOCA.
   Thank you Mr. Dalton, and the incredibly gifted artists. Keep doing what you’re doing, you never know whose life you might touch maybe even save) today! grateful, faithful sober thomas

   Reply
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     John Dalton on February 5, 2022 at 8:54 pm

     Thank you for your lovely comment Thomas.

     Reply

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