One of the small insert items in the current issue of The Week explains an art show at the Baltimore Museum of Art called "Guarding the Art". It is a show based on the art tastes and the job experiences of the Museum guards and members of the security department. t.ly/TGA0 (Firefox shortened link to the Museum's page on the show). I was tickled to learn of the show.
The UWSP campus Learning in Retirement organization, "LIFE", also tries to uncover some of the treasures all around us. LIFE recently expanded to include similar organizations in Wausau and Marshfield, also central Wisconsin towns. LIFE and the Wisconsin Public Television program entitled "This Wisconsin Life" have somewhat similar missions: find and highlight interesting and informative activities, outlooks and experiences around us.
We have lived in the cinematic age long enough that most of us have some idea of what can be done with makeup and stagecraft. Give us a nicely wrinkled old face and body and with the proper clothing, makeup and lighting and accompanied by the proper laudatory language, we can probably get people to accept an elderly, somewhat decrepit guy as a hero. Give our writers a little time and we can probably increase enthusiasm for stories about the cuteness of kittens and the wit of five year olds. The hunt for authentic heroes and genuine beauty takes effort but we can learn to see the miracles around us.
