A Vision for the Arts. A Distinction for Wake Forest.

J. D. Wilson (’69, P ’01)

Those who truly know Wake Forest know it’s a unique place not easily described. It has character and a certain spirit of confidence, often playing above its size, and it feels good just to be there, walking the friendly and friendly-looking campus. It also has had leaders of character, such as Dean Mark Reece, a man of many titles and talents — all centered on students and the student experience. He helped define what makes Wake Forest so special and devoted his life to doing so — as acknowledged by his receiving the Medallion of Merit, Wake Forest’s highest honor for service to the University.

How appropriate it is that the art collection he conceived now bears his name. Like his lifetime of focus on students, the art collection uniquely has students making buying decisions. Early radical collaboration.

So who was Mark Reece?

To me, he was my first recognized mentor, showing me that mentorship is a strong value that defines the Wake Forest experience, as he guided me through campus leadership positions, giving me confidence to do things I had never done and, ultimately, to lead. He impacted my life in countless positive ways, including its trajectory.

To some, he was our version of the iconic Norman Rockwell. They shared similar interesting faces. Sometimes Dean Reece wore a flat cap and tweed jacket with leather-patched elbows. Or smoked a pipe while zipping about campus in his small MG convertible — British racing green. And, of course, Rockwell and Reece both loved and had special connections to the world of art. And golf.

His proudest roles, though, had to be as the spouse of Shirley and father of Mark, John, Lisa and Jordan in their “Leave It to Beaver” home setting on Faculty Drive, where I was a frequent guest. They treated me like family, as Wake Forest does so well.

He was leader of the College Union, now the Student Union. Names changed, as I entered Wake Forest College and graduated from the University. As Wake Forest defines its bold vision of “Wake the Arts,” which I applaud loudly, I see proven seeds of success from the College Union days. Frankly, being involved in College Union was a way to be immersed in the future world of work in a safe campus environment; it was an entrepreneurial and leadership incubator at its core — for all who took advantage of it.

The Major Functions Committee engaged us to plan and execute big concerts of top entertainers in Wait Chapel — from soup to nuts: deciding which artists to get; participating in negotiations, budgeting, contracts, marketing and public relations, and ticket sales; setting up the stage; running the soundboard; and ensuring contractual items were in dressing rooms. We were running a business — with Mark Reece looking over our shoulders, letting us make decisions, guiding us and assisting with challenges. Our entertainers were Simon & Garfunkel, Dionne Warwick, The Lettermen, Ray Charles, Sam & Dave, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marcel Marceau, Carlos Montoya and more.

Of course, the Arts Committee played a major role in my life, as I was tapped to be one of four students for the 1969 art-buying trip to New York City. Our guides were Dean Reece, Provost Ed Wilson, and Professors Allen Easley and Sterling Boyd.

To make the trip more affordable, I drove my car, and we stopped overnight at Harv Owen’s (’71) home in Pennsylvania. The four of us on that trip were the late Beth Coleman (’71), Leslie Hall Hallenbeck (’72), Harv and me. It was my first (and only) time driving in New York City.

Our days were tightly scheduled, a gallery here, a gallery there, then lunch, then more galleries, then dinner, and then a night in the room of our four elders to defend works on our list, deleting some and taking notes. We had the same intense schedule the next day and then a final vote. In. Out. We also had real-world lessons to learn about staying within our financial limits (about $35,000), as there was a large work by Larry Rivers, now considered by many to be the godfather or grandfather of Pop Art, we chose to give up so we could have the broad range of choices we made — the largest number in the collection. Our instinct to buy Rivers’ work was validated when I visited Williams College Museum of Art in 2009 and the first focal point was an almost identical work by him. It hit me: They had a Rivers and a dedicated art museum.

One of the most memorable highlights of the trip was a visit to the Park Avenue penthouse of Barbara Millhouse, creator of Reynolda House Museum of American Art. She and Winston-Salem native, the late Bob Myers, hosted us for a reception, followed by dinner at an Irish pub. It was the first time I’ve taken an elevator up directly into a home.

High above a transom was a slide projector displaying 10-second views of the latest contemporary art. She used that innovation to show us the importance of contemporary art and how it gives meaning and life to the walls of our homes and special places.

Another memory in her living room happened as I looked down on the coffee table at a picture of R. J. and Katharine Reynolds — reminders that I was in a very special home — when out from the bedroom came a little boy in his pajamas to tell mommy goodnight. That was my introduction to Reynolds Lassiter, her only child, who said goodnight to us as well. Years later, as a young adult, he lived in WinstonSalem, and we served on boards and strategized together on initiatives to benefit Winston-Salem and Wake Forest.

My true introduction to art happened my first days on campus, in 1964, as I viewed the exhibit of works purchased by students that spring. It’s beyond my telling to convey the significance that moment has had on my life. It opened doors for me at Wake Forest and then doors in Winston-Salem, especially at the iconic University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where I received an honorary degree. I was also introduced to Philip Hanes, who became my community mentor, and to Nick Bragg (’58), my arts and historical behind-the-scenes whisperer. I now have a home full of art my wife, Janie, and I have casually “collected.” Creativity and arts have continued as a life theme: Our daughter, Mary Craig Tennille (’01), who chose Wake Forest and a major of studio art, married Andy (’00), a photographer-artist centered on musicians (they met in English class at Wake Forest), and they nurture our arts-loving grandchildren, Olivia and Cy, who treasure visits to Reynolda House and Gardens and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. A prize possession in our personal collection is the program of that 1964 exhibit that opened my eyes to the world of art. In fact, it was Sept. 15, 1964, as noted by me in pencil on the back, which my father taught me to do for experiences I never wanted to forget. The cover is Picasso’s La Femme au Chapeau, from the first purchase year.

These are but a few examples of the effect the Wake Forest experience can have on every student of every major at a unique, world- and life-impacting university. Today, through arts interconnectivity, Mark Reece continues to lead, mentor and inspire us to honor our motto of Pro Humanitate in bold support of Wake the Arts.