Confessions of a Lapsed Patron
In 1983 I had the singular pleasure of meeting Luciano Pavarotti backstage at a performance in Kansas City and getting his autograph. The great tenor's recent passing prompted me to think again, as I have countless times over the past 20 years, "I really should pull that out of the old box in the basement and have it framed." That decades-old, autographed recital program has become a metaphor for my involvement with the arts over the years; something which, not unexpectedly, has been on my mind since becoming Dean of this college.
Pavarotti was one of many performers and artists I was privileged to enjoy as an undergraduate at William Jewell College, whose nationally-acclaimed Fine Arts Series brought world-class performances to Kansas City at no cost to students other than the dollar they charged to take the chartered bus from Liberty into the city. These and other forays into the arts and literature affected me as much, if not more in some ways, than the classes I took in my major fields of study. I remember thinking after I decided to go to graduate school that one of the best things about working on a college campus would be all of the opportunities to see and hear live performances, visit exhibits, and continue to learn about the world through them.
However, like Pavarotti's autograph, my involvement with the arts has been more and less noticeable over the years, occasionally sharing it proudly with friends and reliving the experience and at others even forgetting I had it at all. Job pressures, family responsibilities, kids' schedules, shrinking entertainment budgets, and a host of other influences have at times -- and sometimes for long periods of time -- detracted from my participation in and patronage of the arts. And every now and then I am reminded of how much poorer my life becomes when I allow that to happen.
When I first accepted this position a number of people offered their sympathy for my having to attend "all those events." Although the schedule can be grueling at times, my honest response was that I was looking forward to those events. The expectations of the position prod me to make my involvement with the arts a priority, and the personal benefits to me far outweigh any good that my presence might bring to anyone else. For a long time the arts had been "tacked on" to my routine, whereas now by necessity they are "built in."
The work by artists of all sorts in our college truly is one of the perks of working at this university, and we can so easily take it for granted. I am fond of encouraging undergraduates to take advantages of opportunities like traveling abroad or exploring subjects for the sake of curiosity because they may never have the freedom and time to pursue those things once they leave college. I need to take my own advice and open my eyes to the amazing, enriching experiences that are offered to me year after year, both on campus and in the larger community.
If you are not in the habit of attending student theatre productions, stopping in at the downtown Art Gallery or the Student Exhibition Center, or catching a free movie at the University Film Series, I invite you to put such things on your calendar. This week alone there are at least six events going on, from films to art exhibits to live theatre and music performances.
According to my Internet research, autographed Pavarotti memorabilia can bring several hundred dollars. But rather than sell it, I think I will at last have it framed, and hang it on my wall as a reminder not to keep such wonderful experiences in a box beneath the basement stairs.
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