An Important Lesson

I learned from my father yesterday of the passing of a former neighbor of ours, Lee White. The viewing was today, in a funeral home that I used to walk past on my way home from school. I knew Mr White from his heavy involvement in Boy Scouts, where he was active with local troops, the council, and with the whole national organization. It seemed like he knew everything that was taught in scouting- once he taught me the whole morse code alphabet in about 15 minutes. (I've forgotten most of it since) His regular job was his business designing displays for advertising and exhibits, which were constructed from corrugated cardboard. The two came together (for me) in 1985 when I was on his staff for the National Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Virginia, just a few months before I'd be moving to the state to begin college. Along with some other scout leaders and some older scouts from around the country, our job was to build and run a recreation area for our section of the Jamboree grounds, and he shared some of his expertise with corrugated cardboard so we could construct signs and decorations.

Ten years later I'm finishing my third college degree and starting to get work into exhibitions in places far enough away that I need to ship them. Some might just get a generic box, throw in the art along with a pile of styrofoam peanuts and send it on its way, but not me. Using my memories of corrugated construction, I'd get a flat sheet of cardboard, cut it and score it, fold and secure it with paper tape (part of my kit since etching classes) and have myself a strong, safe, and reusable container custom designed to hold my framed artwork. (by the way, gallery directors hate styrofoam peanuts- static makes them stick to everything and you can never repack the artwork for return shipping) Some of my boxes have made multiple trips across country, and I've never had a piece damaged yet. Doesn't have to be a flat sheet- I can take any large cardboard box (love appliance shipping containers- really strong cardboard) and recut it to whatever dimensions I need it to be. A few years ago I had a major show in Iowa and spent the better part of a month making shipping boxes. I don't love making boxes- I'd rather be drawing or cutting- but I'm glad that I can do it when I need one. And I owe that skill with cardboard to Lee White.