A haiku on the Green Room
My dad did not like
the “Vincent with Open Mouth”
painting in Green Room
Back during my freshman orientation weekend, my father sat in wonder at the giant painting hanging in the Green Room of Reynolda Hall. It was a close up of a boy’s face, mouth hanging open.
“Do you know what this painting is called?” he asked me incredulously? “Vincent with Open Mouth!” This clearly was not high art to my dad. But every time we were on campus, he’d check to see if it was still there. And it always was.
Until today.
What most people don’t know about Wake Forest is that the chairs have barely left the Quad following Commencement before we begin doing major projects over the summer. The summer makes sense - a lot of the people are gone, fewer interruptions, yadda yadda. This summer, the Green Room is getting a face lift. And as a result, Vincent with Open Mouth, as well as the other art and a lot of the furniture, are finding new homes elsewhere.
Another ‘insider’ tidbit - any time we have a renovation, if there is surplus furniture available, people come out of the woodwork to grab it. Our own office managed to get a couple of up-for-grabs items, including a very nice sideboard that is now in a colleague’s office.
I have heard some talk about what is to be done with the Green Room: better lighting, perhaps a sound system built in. Also doors - since often we hold programs in there and currently there is no way to shut out noise or traffic from the rest of Reynolda. I eagerly await the finished product later this summer!