From the Figge Front: Today

Today will be a good day.

I’m in the back seat of UIMA Exhibitions and Collections Manager Jeff Martin’s car, listening to an audio book on retired judge and military hero Buck Compton, known from the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers" (the audio book is far more interesting than I originally anticipated). Looking out my window I see flashes of light -- cars zipping west on I-80, caught only by the sunlight -- and I feel relief that we’re heading east to the Figge Art Museum, where we’ll resume unpacking the UIMA collection.

We haven’t been able to unpack for over a month, but this week we finally have the OK. All hands are on deck and thank goodness: a big push is necessary because we must have everything unpacked and located before we can finalize plans for the Richey Ballroom, which is set to open in August.

For me, it’s the process that is most exciting. I have my new notebook on the seat next to me, ready to be filled with columns and rows of numbers and letters. I smile to myself, knowing that with each completed page we’ll be that much closer to normalcy, to having the objects safely placed back on shelves.

We’re pulling into the Figge’s parking lot, and I can see the O’Connell International Arts team. It’s been over a month, but I feel like we were just here. Because of our old friends (meaning the art) we’ve made new friends and have grown close through this experience. I see Victoria, who waves. Now Bob and Darren start walking to where we’ve parked. Today will be a good day.

--Melissa Hueting, Assistant to the Director for Special Projects and Curatorial Assistant