Why does your business support the Akron Art Museum?
My appreciation for art has grown over the years, and we are so fortunate to have the Museum in our community. I love how the exhibitions pull your imagination into different worlds and into the minds of the artists. Along with
special events, fun activities for all ages, the Museum Shop, and more, the Akron Art Museum adds so much to our community.

How many coats of paint do you estimate you have painted on the walls of the Museum?
The temporary exhibition galleries probably have between 160 and a little over 200 layers of paint on some walls. I saw an area of drywall cut out for an exhibition, and the paint appeared to constitute almost half its thickness. You can imagine how much weight the paint has added to the walls.

What was your favorite exhibition in terms of painting the gallery walls? Do you recall the wall colors?
My favorite was Keith Haring: Against All Odds, especially painting the background for the Pop Shop exhibit. A local artist duplicated Haring’s original Pop Shop design, and the finished product was an almost perfect replica. Watching it come to life in the Museum will always be one of my favorite memories. I love the history of how Haring became popular doing chalk paintings in the New York City subway at rush hour. We used four paint colors for Against All Odds, including an orange and a red to complement the colors that Haring used in some of his artwork. We also painted walls with Benjamin Moore’s Twilight Zone black and Benjamin Moore’s Super White.

Which wall colors do you personally feel enhance artwork?
Each color used in an exhibition is carefully selected by the Museum’s Design team in collaboration with the exhibition curator and artist. My favorite is Benjamin Moore’s Twilight Zone; it complements the artworks and the hardwood floors

If you could borrow one work from a Museum exhibition to display in your home, what would it be?
Without a doubt, Keith Haring’s freestanding Statue of Liberty. The bold colors, the attention to detail; I was so amazed by this piece, having never seen anything like it. True liberty on display!

Are particular works in the collection special to you?
Chuck Close’s Linda is one of my all-time favorites in the Museum’s permanent collection. The artist perfectly captured the look of how life can wear you down at times, but you will never give up. Another favorite is Wall Drawing #1240, Planes with broken bands of color (Akron), Sol LeWitt’s multicolored brick feature wall. We painted the base layer for this mural wall; it was my first experience painting with the Akron Art Museum. We had to use particular four-inch brushes and hand-brushed the entire wall with five base coats of paint, using a specific crosshatch application. LeWitt’s technician flew in from New York to watch us apply the paint, concerned because in past projects at other institutions, the technique was not followed properly, and his tape did not adhere well when painting the design. He pulled up a chair and watched us for a few hours, then said that he was flying back to New York because we knew what we were doing. I was very pleased to hear him say that, and the feature wall has always held a special meaning for me.