Page 538 - Demo

Fools%u2019 Journey532thinking%u2014because we believed we were following our correct path through life, we were convinced everything would work out for us in a way designed just for us.%u2022%u2022%u2022%u2022%u2022In the spring of 2023, I had emailed a woman at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science about the possibly donating some of my photographs to them. We%u2019d communicated a number of times over the years when she was Curator of Collections, and she was now Executive Director. I sent her some thumbnail images, along with a detailed resume, and she responded quickly, saying she%u2019d take the proposal to her Art Committee and get back to me within two weeks. But she didn%u2019t. I sent a follow-up email after a month, then another after three months, but never received a reply. So I wrote her off and made the offer to another museum. The Richmond Art Museum was unique in that it was affiliated with the local school system. Although officially a separate non-profit organization, it worked very closely with all the schools in town to develop artistic talent and to promote art appreciation. So much so, that every student visited the museum several times during their years in the Richmond School System. Of course they also had an amazing permanent collection, with regular rotating exhibits, plus an impressive auditorium.When I contacted the Executive Director, Shaun Dingwerth (with whom I%u2019d spoken in the past), I sent him thumbnails of the photographs I was offering to donate, along with a resume, and copies of my photography books. He was very receptive, and was said he%u2019d present my offer to his Selection Committee. When I didn%u2019t hear back after several weeks, I contacted him again, and he apologized profusely, saying he%u2019d been having some health problems. At that point, I suggested that the actual photographs would be far easier to evaluate than even the best thumbnails, and offered to bring the photos themselves to Richmond for his Committee to look over. He thought that was an excellent idea.On the day I planned to drive to Richmond, Lynn wasn%u2019t feeling well, so I delivered the three-foot-tall stack of mounted, matted,