Supreme Women Luncheon featuring The Honorable Dr. Anne Radice

Tina Orr-Cahill and Dr. Anne Radice

Today I was a guest at EMP Museum CEO, Tina Orr-Cahill's Supreme Women Luncheon Series featuring The Honorable Dr. Anne Radice, who has enjoyed a distinguished career in the museum world.  What a delightful and fascinating woman!  she has served as the head of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and as the first director of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, among her many notable accomplishments.

Paula Boggs, Tina Orr-Cahill, Cathi Hatch

Tina hosted the luncheon in the Blue Lounge overlooking the Sky Church at EMP where the ten of us had the opportunity to hear about some of Anne's amazing life experiences.  One of my favorite stories she shared was when she was a brand-new employee of the National Gallery of Art, where Carter Brown was the Museum Director.  She had been in her new position for about two weeks and was one of only two females in the museum in her new post as "Assistant to the Assistant Curator of Nothing" as she described it, when she went to Mr. Brown's office to request a meeting with him so she could share some of her ideas on how to make the museum better. 

Dr. Anne Radice, Tina Orr-Cahill, Jeannis McGinnis

His executive assistant was astonished that a brand-new employee was requesting such a meeting but said she would talk with him.  A few days later, Anne was summoned to his office and he asked her why she had requested to meet with him.  Anne said that she believed he was a visionary person and would appreciate any other visionary ideas from others and launched into her ideas about how to increase the number of "regular" people who would visit the museum.  Carter Brown became Anne's mentor and many of her ideas were actually implemented.

Dena Rigby and Kelly McLoughlin

Because of what became their life-long friendship and mentorship, when Carter Brown was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1992, Anne was invited to co-present the award to him along with President George H.W. Bush. 

The other women attending this fun and fascinating luncheon at EMP were Paula Boggs, Kelly McLoughlin, Lisa Howe Verhovek, Ana Mari Cauce, Dena Rigby, Betty Rubenstein, Patty Isaacson-Sabey and Jeannie McGinnis.

Tina ended the luncheon by sharing information and a brief video about their next exhibit beginning October 20, 2012 which will be a partnership between Harley-Davidson Museum and EMP Museum all about tracing the path of the black leather jacket from functional garment to universally recognized symbol of cool rebellion.  I also heard murmurings about a really interesting fashion show to celebrate the opening of the exhibition called "Project Leather".  Stay tuned for more details soon.