True Community and the Creative Process

New York is an incredible city! Where else could one find a museum that is solely focused on building a stellar collection that documents and celebrates humanity's exploration of the "creative process?" Maybe the answer is nowhere, except here in one of the greatest cities on the planet.

This past Friday evening more than 100 alumni parents and alums gathered for a special Saint David's event at The Morgan Library and Museum, the great New York architectural treasure designed by McKim, Mead & White, a leader of the American Renaisssance style.

We had arranged for this special spring gathering of alum friends of the school to hear from the Morgan's Director, Mr. William Griswold. In his enthusiastic, animated and comprehensive remarks, Mr. Griswold provided a historical overview of the venue, its rich history, and its ties to New York, highlights of the library and museum collection, and his own take on this museum's unique place in the city, country and even the world.

Once the private library of Gilded Age financier Pierpont Morgan, the Library is now a public institution holding a great repository of literature, music and art, and the only institution in the world to count three Gutenberg bibles among its holdings. Its stunning interior spaces were recently restored to provide more room to accommodate the wide-ranging collections of the museum, which includes illuminated Coptic manuscripts, original manuscripts, photography, and art, especially that which captures the creative process--what happened before the masterpiece was produced.

Among the Director's favorites is a marked up Beethoven manuscript, which he said he loves because "it shows the artist's thinking on paper; it depicts the artistic struggle."

After his talk, museum docents led members of the Saint David's community on special tours of the Library, including the modern Renzo Piano-designed "piazza," the rotunda, library, and study.

It was a spectacular evening for all. I always love these events, which bring together friends, old and new, in the Saint David's community to share a unique New York experience.

Friday's event could not have occurred without the community spirit and leadership of Alumni Parents Council co-chairs Dorothy Faux and Linda Foran, and the instrumental efforts of Winnie and Michael Feng.

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