An Essay on the Simple Joys of Gathering Treasures
Kathleen Kvern explains why and how she (and her daughter) collect Minnesota art. (From the current issue of Access & Engage, mnartists.org's email newsletter.)
EVERY KID KNOWS THE SIMPLE JOY OF COLLECTING. Prying unusual rocks from trails, stuffing shells into buckets at the beach, dolls, stuffed animals, stamps—kids instinctively know what they like as well as the pleasure of seeing it all together. My daughter has what she calls her “special spot”—the top of her bureau—for all of the collectibles she deems worthy. With no concern for what I think she’s arranged together snow globes, bits of string from God-knows-what, cheap souvenirs, assorted stamps, colorful pieces of glass, and a myriad of other specimens. Not only is each item catalogued in her mind, she knows exactly where each piece belongs on the “special spot”. Once I tried to tidy this spot, removing objects I thought were tacky or, frankly, just not that special. My daughter was furious and she had a right to be. . . . To read the rest of this article and browse through Kathleen’s collection, click here