I've been surprised to see no comment on the list about Stephen Weill's
death on August 9.  Perhaps I missed it and perhaps there's more on
art-related lists.  But he touched us all.  I am certainly not the best
person to assess his contributions to our field, but clearly he was one of
the truly outstanding members of our profession, both leading and provoking
us in thought and professional development.  I'm reminded of Freeman
Tilden's forth principle: "The chief aim of Interpretation is not
Instruction, but provocation."  Steve could do either as circumstances
warranted.

One of two articles on Steve's death in the Washington Post
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/13/AR200508130
1174.html> quotes him at some length on the culture wars including "It is
really important to understand that art often bites."  Not all feel good.
Part of Steve's great value surely is that such points, while made in the
context of art and art museums, apply equally to museums' clear eyed
exploration of history and presentation of truths of nature as revealed by
science.  

Steve's August 11 obituary in the Washington Post
<http://washingtontimes.com/obituary/20050810-095926-7573r.htm> cites his
wit, intellect, love of music (great at the piano) and humor and quotes his
wife as saying that about a week before his death he asked for "...a glass
of a really good wine and a pork sausage." saying that when he finished
both, he said "All right, I'm ready to go now."

It's sad to lose such a valued colleague, but good to know he left us in the
style we'd associate with him.  It was good to have him with us.  It's up to
us to think in response to his provocations and do the right things.

Gordon Murdock
Curator of Education
Bell Museum of Natural History and
Director of Graduate Studies,
Museum Studies Graduate Minor
University of Minnesota
10 Church St. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-624-6380 (fax 612-626-7704)
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