Find yourself at WAM

Stories and symbolism speak to her

I have many favorites at WAM, but I always try to include Andrea Del Sarto’s St. John the Baptist in my tours. I especially like to tell the story behind the acquisition of this painting. It was discovered in 1977 at All Saints Church in Worcester in a pile of cardboard boxes on the floor. It was unframed and dirty. All Saints Church was trying to get items ready to put in an auction sale to raise money for church repairs. The church secretary and a person who volunteered at WAM decided to take it to the Worcester Art Museum to have it evaluated. You could say it was divine intervention that the church got the money for their repairs and WAM got this wonderful painting. People remember “stories” about particular pieces of art, but St. John the Baptist also has rich vibrant colors and a graceful design. This painting also has the religious symbols that go with the Bible story. He wears coarse animal hair, and he points to a reed cross that symbolizes Christ. Even the frame around this painting is a work of art! St. John had a role in the Bible that I see as anticipation of a greater story. Raised Hispanic Catholic, I was very familiar with this story. I see that my role is to tell “stories” that challenge people to take a second look at many of our art pieces and remember these stories to pass on.

Trudy Roybal is a retired teacher and a graduate of WAM’s 2018 docent class. She enthusiastically embraces her new role introducing others to art.

Worcester Hunt Floor Mosaic, detail, Antioch, early 500s, cubes of marble and limestone embedded in lime mortar, Excavation of Antioch and Vicinity funded by the bequests of the Reverend Dr. Austin S. Garver and Sarah C. Garver, 1936.30

Mosaics make a lasting impression

All art provokes thought and contemplation beyond one’s daily tasks. Art allows us to connect history, cultures, and peoples. As a real estate developer and architect, I have seen design and art play a key role in community revitalization and vibrancy. My favorite piece at WAM is the Worcester Hunt Floor Mosaic in the Renaissance Court. As the Museum refocuses its attention on globalization and cultural exchange, what better piece exists at WAM to evidence its importance in everyday life. Mosaics, inherently designed and made one small piece at a time, collectively become a work of art; a single dining room floor can transition us back to Byzantine times! Like all of us as individuals, one by one we become a collective. As a community-based museum, WAM evolves and transforms much like the Antioch mosaics. One can see art within art in each of these treasures. When we look deeper at art, we look deeper at the people who created it and more importantly at the various peoples and cultures that make up greater Worcester today. Art of 1,500-plus years ago cements us all closer together. Each piece of art at WAM—be it the Antioch mosaics or the most recent thoughtful acquisition by our curators—transforms us to a different time for sure. But it also brings us to the singular present. By viewing WAM’s art we can all look a little deeper into our lives and our souls and how we can learn from our similarities and our differences.

Lawrence H. Curtis is a new member of the Worcester Art Museum Board of Trustees. He is President and Managing Partner of WinnDevelopment in Boston.