History Lesson

Had a busy morning today. I had plans to meet with one of the adjucnts from my University at the gallery in Lakewood, followed by a tour of the Studio. That all went as planned, with my friend and her two friends all impressed with both my exhibition and the building where the Studio is located. Unexpected was that while we were in the gallery, a man saw me and introduced himself. He's a part time sculpture instructor there at the college, but many years ago he was a teacher in Neptune, and taught in the very space the Studio now occupies. At that point the building was being used as a grammar school. Molly and I have always wondered exactly what the room was for originally- the odd concrete platforms, concrete floor with a drain. (the above photos show how the room looked before we moved in and fixed it up) One door says "Boys" on it, but the layout and existing plumbing don't seem right for a lavatory. (I thought maybe a locker room, or more likely, a door salvaged from elsewhere in the building). What I was told today was the room had a variety of functions toward the end of the building's life as a school. A general utility room, it was sometimes used for arts and crafts, sometimes for storage, or even as a maintenance closet. I like that the space had been used for art before, like we are continuing a tradition.