Walking through the Museum’s fantastic exhibition think small, I noticed an elegant little lion painted by none other than well-known British wildlife artist and conservationist David Shepherd. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Shepherd, part of the décor in my office is due to him. No, I don’t have a David Shepherd original painting hanging above my desk, but I do have a classy headshot of Jimmy Stewart. What’s the connection? That’s one of the great stories passed on through generations of Museum staff and members.
David Shepherd’s Lion Sketch among many other small treasures in think small.
In April 1987, the Woodson Art Museum honored David Shepherd during the exhibition Wildlife in Art. It just so happened that Jimmy Stewart, one of the greatest movie stars of all time, was a good friend of Mr. Shepherd, and an avid collector of wildlife art. The Museum hosted Mr. Stewart during the occasion, and he left several headshots that remain in the Museum’s archives.
Jimmy Stewart talks with Woodson Art Museum Master Wildlife Artist Owen Gromme
Because I’m fan of classic movies and Jimmy Stewart is one of my favorite actors (how could he not be?), I framed one of the headshots and proudly display it in my office among a mishmash of memories, my kids’ artwork, and trinkets inherited from my predecessor Kathy Foley. While the black and white 8 x 10 photograph seems like a fish out of water, all the items on the shelves in my office relate to the Museum or my experiences at the Museum in some way. The Jimmy Stewart photograph, and his time at the Woodson, remain an important part of our history. I’m sorry I missed it.
Are any of our artist friends out there reading this blog close friends with Tom Hanks by chance?
