I'm lost for a title for this one .......... you choose!

I've been hesitant to post this, because it feels a bit like voyerism. But, the race is won and I'm still scratching my head over this. It was the only comment posted on his website, it's seven years old, and it sounds kind of, uh, personal. Why did he post it on his campaign website? Note that even "Cindy" suggests these comments should be shared "quietly." Wonder if she knows it's been posted for the world to see?

6/15/01

Mort,

The program at the luncheon seemed so scripted that I didn’t find an appropriate moment to interrupt, then it was too late. I really felt badly in that I did prepare remarks that I think the staff should have heard from an arts person. But to follow the humorous and raucous tribute of the Troika and Slick was too much for this serious stuff. Perhaps it is better to share these thoughts quietly.

I intended to start by asking if any one knew of Ansel Adams or Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. And then Hockney, which I would suspect few would recognize, yet many may have seen the student work inspired by him. I think Hockney provides the perfect paradigm to describe your career in arts education and athletics.

I would have explained to everyone that Hockney investigated Picasso’s pictorial ideas known as cubism. Picasso essentially attacked Renaissance concepts of space, “looking through the window” school of realism. Cubism is about seeing from multiple perspectives, the way in which our eyes take in multiple and shifting view. Hockney calls this the “flicker and scanning of binocular vision,” which with the camera can capture space, time, and movement.

Some may see the students’ photo collages as lightweight investigations or fanciful trickery. Yes, some may appear that way, bug Hockney affirms that “vision is like hearing, it is selective, you decide what’s important.” To me this is the paradigm that represents what you have brought to students over 31 years—-the ability to see from multiple perspectives and to capture space, time, and movement. You have inspired, befriended, taught almost 5000 students in ceramics, graphic design, photography, and year book. (My first inept calculations produced the modest number of 29,000 – glad I’m not teaching math. After 31 years it probably seems the number could be that large).

As a Lincoln parent I can say with great appreciation that you have inspired my son in ways that will affect him the rest of his life. You have opened his mind to the wonders of photography, but you have also created awareness about life skills such as team work, organization, cooperation no matter what direction he takes in life.

As a student teacher at Lincoln 13 years ago, I had the good fortune to work with an outstanding department—Crosier, Speros, and Morten. You all are part of a generation of arts teachers who passionately believe that the arts make a difference in the lives of their students; that content knowledge gives shape to vision and creates meaning; and that the experience of studio work can build self esteem and appreciation of others.

As a colleague these past 12 years, you have always been ready with a smile and a pat on the back. You are the calming force in our sometimes dysfunctional department. I say dysfunctional only in that we are a small department of both visual and performing arts and sometimes get stretched to the point of fragmentation. You Mort have always seemed to be the voice of reason.

An finally a tribute I heard from a senior humanities student as our class discussed your retirement. She said “Mort taught me to see.” Some of our faculty may think this is a small thing, but those of us in the arts know this is a wonderful tribute and a gift that all arts teachers should hope to impart to their students.

Man Ray in his book on modern photography (1957) said: “Of course there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how?’ while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why?’ Personally I have always preferred inspiration to information.” You Doug have been both informational and inspirational as a teacher, a colleague, and a friend to many of us at Lincoln! Thank you and congratulations on your retirement!

Most Sincerely,

Cindy