I'm Just James

 

James Benjamin Morgan is my granson. He is my son's son. His name honors his great grandfather James O'Connell Morgan (my dad). He was born just six months after his cousin Lawton (my daughter's boy born 7/5/2016).

He was only about 4 years old when, on a visit to his Maternal Grandmother's house in Memphis, I found myself on the living room floor involved in a pretend game in which a birthday party was taking place around some poker chips. James was eager to to participate so he cast himself as a threatening dinosaur. Ready to crash the party he growled. Slowly he lumbered to the birthday cake of poker chips and stomped the birthday party - cake and all.

 

Papa (that's me) pretended to call the police to report the disturbance. My son Ben was brilliant in the role of an authoritarian policeman. Surveying the damage, he commenced his investigation. The questioning turned to the recently reformed dinosaur. The policeman (dad) asked the suspect to provide evidence in the case and report. 

"I'm just James?" was the sum of his witness testimony. 

I just love how he was able to switch from terrifying dinosaur to innocent  bystander in that little play. (The policeman could not apprehend the perpetrator).  

I'M JUST JAMES

"I'm the rightful ruler. Anyone can see. Nobody's gonna make a monkey out of me." (K Rule in Donkey Kong)

LSP Art Fair 2026

 

The 39th annual Art Fair at Laumeier Sculpture Park is upon us. I've agree to again serve as a volunteer during the weekend event. I just had a weekend visit to New Orleans (May 4-6) along with my brother Greg, We went to visit with our brother Sundance. But to appease my art museum junky habit we visited the New Orleans Museum of Art and the adjacent Sculpture Garden. While I continue to think of Laumeier as a gem in our region and a wonderful showcase of world class sculpture, New Orleans impressed me with their collection of over 90 works on view outside and wonderfully presented along a well maintained trail. 

NOLA Morgan meeting

 

An historic meeting of Morgan boys takes place over May 3-4 in New Orleans. Sundance suggested Betsy's Pancake breakfast diner on Canal Street. It was an ideal place to review a variety of topics including: 1. How we might get Sundance's TV working again? 2. Is the Degas House worth a visit? 3. Can Greg add Dan via facetime on his iPhone? 4. Will our waitress, Katherine be amused by the comic sardonic wit of the Morgans ordering breakfast (after 10:30am when the specials are no longer offered)? 

Edgar Degas, the French born Impressionist visited family in New Orleans for five months in 1872, a fact that is celebrated within the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) and a house that is in the Register of Historic Places. (Of course Greg and Wes visited both NOLA and Degas House).

I pondered Richard Diebenkorn painting of a woman on a porch at NOLA before Greg and I visited the remarkable Sculpture Garden adjacent to the museum on a beautiful day for viewing sculpture by Robert Indiana, Keneth Snelson, Louise Bourgeois, Deborah Butterfield, George Rickey, Claes Oldenburg/Coosie Van Bruggen, George Rodrique, Henry Moore, ...and More. (A truly amazing collection on view at the Sydney and Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden)

 

 

We visited the WWII Museum, where we joined an audience, composed largely of seniors for a 4-D Movie complete with a 7 minute introduction by actor Tom Hanks. (The 4-D experience included jaring moving seats and noise and lights that includes being run over by a tank! War is Hell.) Of course I could not resist the display of the Hitler declared DEGENERAT ART (with appropriate inclusion of St. Louis favorite Max Beckmann).

We also caught a glimpse of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art including a terrific exhibition of classic photos of Jazz legends including the singing great Billie Holiday. 

Greg rented a car so we covered a variety of Nawlins' vistas like Bourbon Street, Lake Ponchetrain, and Loyola University. Greg doesn't mind driving. GPS allowed us to find Hansen's Snow Bliz shop and a brand extension of the Cafe Du Monde for coffee and beignets. 

We were well fed at the Fairfield by Marriot in Metierie breakfast fare (including a make your own waffles station and a variety of toppings). I lost my wallet on the floor at Metierie's Buffalo Wild Wings (which was fortunately returned to me by the festive group who were at our table after us).

Katherine, our server at Betsy's photo-bombed us at breakfast. A few minutes earlier a guy (Benny) carrying take-out stopped for a moment to recognize Sundance. "My two girls took tennis lessons with you...They're doing well" (How wonderful is that random recognition of impact?) 

The famous quote from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) is: "This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend". It is spoken by newspaper editor Maxwell Scott to Senator Ransom Stoddard, deciding to bury the truth about who actually killed the outlaw to preserve a more inspiring narrative.

Where Art Meets Nature: The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden explores the history of this award-winning space and highlights works from its superb collection ranging from the 19th to 21st centuries. The Garden’s founding patrons: Sydney and Walda Besthoff.

Greg - 

Even though Katherine (our server at Betsy's) called security on us. And I lost my wallet at Metairie Buffalo Wild Wings. And we couldn't find a parking spot on Bourbon Street. And I got run over by a tank at the WWII museum. In spite of everything, it was big fun being with you and visiting with Sundance in New Orleans. 

Love, 

Wes