I have just returned home from setting up my work and attending the opening of a three person show at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art. The whole experience was comfortable, easy and professional. This was largely due to the work of Wendy Smith, Assistant Director of the museum.

Several months before my exhibit in the Sterner Atrium Gallery, we spoke on the telephone and then communicated by email. Wendy let me know what the museum needed from me and answered all of my questions in a timely fashion. I had some unusual lighting needs and she started working on them right away. When the day came to light my work, we had several options ready. Lighting went smoothly because we were prepared.

The three person show was installed in three days. The three artists had different personalities and worked in very different media: large delicate glass, wall size painting, and my large metal sculptures. She asked us how we wanted our art displayed. I had Wendy decide the arrangement of my work. She provided me with a sketch of where each work would go weeks before the show. One of the artists made her own plan for display. Once Wendy saw the actual artworks, not just images and dimension she could better visualize how things should be displayed. She made some changes, making sure she included us in the process, seamlessly. The artwork in each gallery flowed naturally from work to work and allowed for comfortable viewing and movement of the museum visitors.

The opening was packed and the excitement of the evening was evident by the buzz of voices that filled the gallery. Everything was well organized and ran smoothly.

Wendy is knowledgeable in art and museum operations. She is calm, pleasant, efficient, prepared, and flexible. She handles unexpected problems gracefully. I truly enjoyed working with her.

-Dan Brown