Fred Wilson

 I'm late again with this stuff... Like a year late... This was March 19th... 2008...

Ok. So Youngstown State University, the tiny, tiny university that it is, somehow got Fred Wilson to come and be apart of the SKEGGS lecture series. (Ok. Backstory. The Skeggs family donated a crapload of money to be used to get famous important people to come to YSU and give lectures. And it bounces around from department to department, so every year someone gets a turn. And then there's a committee to pick a person and blah blah blah...) Oh and this year we got Cornell West. And that was amazing!

Ok. So back to my point... So Fred Wilson came and he gave this amazing lecture/ presentation. He's truly a gifted storyteller. It was AMAZING!

And well, before all this happened, Fred's people got in contact with the art department at YSU. He wanted to talk to students. Like one on one. So rather than have our faculty tell him, "Talk to so-and-so. They're going places. And don't talk to so-and-so; ie: read- me, she's a waste." He asked for interested students to send 10 slides and an artist statement. And he would personally look at them on his computer and then decide, and pick 4 (undergrad) students who he would like to have a studio visit with, based on whose work he personally found interesting and/or compelling. And this was all supposed to happen the day before the lecture... But unfortunately, Mr. Wilson's mother passed away a day or so before the lecture. But he still managed to come and give his presentation, but he left right after. He said he would reschedule the studio visit...

Oh and he picked 5 students instead of 4. And one of those 5, was me! Omg. Holy crap. He picked ME! (See Greg? I'm not a total waste.) And he did come back the week that I was actually installing my senior show, So I believe it was the 26th or 28th of April (2008). Of course, I wasn't ready. And I had just had this huge relationship breakup/life is over thing going on. But we had a wonderful chat about art. And working practice. And love. And loss... He talked about his mom and I talked about my, er, boyfriend. And it was amazing. And you think that I would have taken a picture with this guy? Yeah, what was I thinking. He's like a rockstar in the art world. I mean, he represented the USA in the Venice Biennale... Yeah. Fail. Anyway... Oh and I heard from a little birdie, that he liked my work the best! Holy crap! Oh And... He's friends with Kiki Smith. My idol. And I gave him one of my porcelain remnants, and he said that he would show Kiki! Wow!

This was truly one of the most amazing experiences in my undergrad career.