A Scholar and Artist of Remarkable Passion
By Tom Wachunas
“The noblest pleasure is the joy of
understanding.”
-Leonardo da Vinci
For those of you
who missed the recent Repository articles regarding the retirement of M.J.
Albacete, executive director at the Canton Museum of Art (CMA) since 1988, I
include here the links:
Particularly thrilling
was Gary Brown’s piece that started on the front page of the April 20 issue,
and continued to occupy ALL of page A-6. I can’t recall reading a heftier or
more warmly written Repository profile of a local citizen than this. And the
fact that it speaks so comprehensively of one man’s astonishing impact on the
local arts milieu is all the more gratifying.
So while there’s no
need here to recap his curriculum vitae
or an inventory of the commanding CMA exhibitions presented during his tenure,
I feel moved to offer some thoughts along more personal lines.
I returned to
Canton in late 1991 after living as an artist/ journalist in New York City for
14 years. It was to be at first a temporary geographic change - a critical
crossroads as I needed to rethink the trajectory of my life. I don’t mind telling
you that during my first several weeks here, I feared I had entered a cultural
wasteland, devoid of a vibrant arts community or contemporary “gallery scene.”
But it was in fact
my earliest visits to the CMA in 1992 that greatly swayed my decision in favor
of settling in Canton, and soon I was regularly reviewing its captivating
exhibits for two regional arts publications. For the remainder of the 1990s and
well beyond, I’ve had countless opportunities to speak with Mr. Albacete (whom
I will henceforth refer to as Al) about the exhibits I was addressing. I remain
wholly impressed by the depth of his analyses and his gift for articulating
them beautifully, both in written and spoken form – something I consider to be
a fine art in itself.
From the beginning
of our professional relationship, it was clear to me that his sage observations
and assessments are predicated on a firm grasp of art history, which is in turn
a manifestation of his very real passion for grasping and expressing essences.
Through the years I’ve personally found that passion to be increasingly
contagious, and I can’t be grateful enough.
Long before
Canton’s downtown arts scene became a reality, Al’s tenure was already
distinguished by an astute attention to the highest standards of aesthetic
quality as seen in CMA exhibitions. More
than an “executive” in the administrative sense, he is an inspired/
inspiring custodian and proponent of cultural excellence. And while the museum has been billed “First Stop” for the popular First
Friday events downtown, I think it’s fair to say that the CMA has always been first in the minds of those
who consider visual arts presentation as a vital component of Canton’s cultural
profile. Thanks to Al’s tireless dedication to overseeing the presentation of
truly edifying art, I also think it right, now more than ever before, to call
the CMA “Gateway to the Canton Arts District.”
Now, thinking about his immanent retirement
and possible pursuits to come, I recall a few past Repository articles wherein some local leaders expressed
their hopes for Canton to become a viable cultural destination beyond just a
football mania Mecca. So here are a few questions – challenges, actually - to
Repository policy makers: Do you share the same hopes? Is it unreasonable to
think that your newspaper itself could be a relevant cultural destination? Then
why not elevate public awareness and include the voice of Albacete in truly
educating your readership through his writing on the arts?
On a lighter note,
if there’s anything even vaguely resembling a dowdy side to Al’s myriad
intellectual and artistic interests, it may well be his love for limericks.
These are humorous poems usually associated with naughty (some might say
“dirty”) content, comprised of five anapestic verses in a rhyme scheme of aabba. [Note: an anapest is a metrical foot consisting generally of two short
syllables followed by one long syllable, or of two unstressed syllables
followed by one stressed syllable.]
A few years ago we were exchanging thoughts,
albeit somewhat jokingly, about the efficacy of writing “clean” limericks, even
though the idea does seem antithetical to their traditional nature. Still, in
fond remembrance of all our
exhilarating exchanges over the years (and certainly in anticipation of more to
come), I offer this closing shot to Al and all my readers:
This is my work anapestic,
only a little majestic.
I labored last night
to get these rhymes right,
so here’s a poem antiseptic.
Hello Tom. I just discovered your blog recently (via CMA on facebook) and wanted to let you know how much I enjoy it. Also - I think your idea about the Rep asking Albacete to write for them is a wonderful one! Good luck!
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