We’ve asked FWMoA staff the hardest question you can ask art museum people: so, what is your favorite artwork currently on display? As “art museum people”, we often get asked about our favorite artists, artworks, and the art we choose to hang on our own walls. Since not all of our staff are front-end, and not all of them write for the blog, this series gives everyone a chance to get to know them, too. Taking advantage of our rotating exhibitions of artworks, from painted portraits to sculpted bronzes, FWMoA staff from all departments are choosing artworks that enthrall and enchant them; or, in other words, playing favorites.
Meet Paikea Early, our high school Education Intern this fall! To get her acquainted with the Museum collection, we sent her down to explore the galleries and choose a favorite piece. Drawn to a painting reminiscent of her own summer memories, Paikea chose a work now on view by Michigan-based artist Pat Perry in Especially Terrific:
Q: What is the first thing you noticed about this artwork? What drew you to this particular piece?
A: The first thing I noticed about this piece was its resemblance to one of my own recent summer memories: the simple yet familiar setting of a Midwest pool in seemingly the middle of nowhere.
Q: Would you hang this artwork in your home? Why or why not?
A: Yes! I would hang this piece in my home, especially in a sun or four seasons room. It feels like the sunlight you miss on a gloomy fall day and a reminder that the summer and its joy will return eventually.
Q: What does this artwork mean to you?
A: This artwork means numb feet from accidentally touching the chlorine tablets in the pool. It means dried out hair and balmy days where you drive out into the country for a sleepover and stay up until 1 am. It means that you’re a senior now, and high school is almost over. This piece means that I can still savor the last bit of my last summer, the first one I spent driving myself to friend’s houses, my part-time job, and to Midwest swimming pools. A special type of summer pool that only comes out in early July when your parents think the hot weather will stick. A swimming pool that will leave before August arrives and the chill returns. A swimming pool that promises as long as you’re underneath the water, the weather and your friends can stay forever. This artwork means that I’m still a kid who has time for Midwest swimming pools.
I appreciate that Pat Perry is willing to paint the average Midwestern summer experience in the form of an above-ground swimming pool. The essence of a fleeting Midwestern summer has never felt more real.
Q: Why did you choose to intern in an art museum?
A: I have a passion for history and art, so an art museum is the perfect blend of my interests. How we choose to preserve the past and the future is thrilling, important work.
Q: What has been your favorite exhibition at FWMoA during your employment? What exhibition are you most looking forward to in the next year or two?
A: I always love the Scholastic Art & Writing exhibition because it showcases a large variety of mediums, talents, backgrounds, and ages who enjoy and pursue visual art. I’m definitely looking forward to next year’s (2025) applicants and winners!
Q: What kind of art (if any) do you have in your home?
A: In my own home I keep photography of family members, my own personal works, and posters. I specifically look for and collect pieces created by people of color!