My wife has been an artist her whole life. She is an oil
painter and art teacher, who can recite the names of all of the greats. When I
first met her, she was a student in Art College in Calcutta. We moved to the
United States together with big dreams. We were excited at the prospect of a
country filled with opportunity and promise. We got married and a few years
later, we had our first child. A baby girl. In 1984, we packed up what we had
and moved to Worcester, Massachusetts with that three-month old baby. We had
both immigrated to the United States just a few years before. Everything felt
new. There was so much about the United States that I had not learned yet. When
we first came to Worcester, so many things still needed translation--words,
customs and traditions.
Even with all of the newness, the thing that always felt
familiar to us was art. It spoke all languages. We could look at a painting and
feel its message, with no need for explanation. No worry about choosing the
right word, or understanding its tone. Art made us feel like we were a part of
this new place. It was something that was natural in a land where everything
else needed to be learned. There was something here we already understood.
Today, my family has been in Worcester for over thirty-four
years. I know all of the roads by heart. It is truly my home. I worked in the
pharmaceutical industry for years while we raised our two children, while my
wife taught art and always stayed close to it. When it became time for me to
retire, I wanted to return to the place that had made me feel welcome when I
was a stranger in a new place. I now spend several hours a week at the WAM. It’s the perfect part-time job for a retiree. I learn about the
paintings and exhibits, and get to watch new faces feel what this place has
always made me feel.
There is so much that I would like to share with someone who
is considering visiting the Worcester Art Museum. I am no docent, but nothing
makes me happier than sharing the things I have learned from the visiting
speakers and brilliant staff here at the Museum.
One of my favorite things about WAM is the rich
collection of Asian art. It is incredible to see the long history of my people
represented so many miles from home. Much of this began with Ananda Coomaraswamy,
who began bringing Indian art to this area in the early 1900s. Today, Vivian
Li, associate curator of Asian art and global contemporary art, carries on that
tradition. There are two upcoming pieces I am especially looking forward to
seeing on display. The first is A
Vegetarian Lion, A Slippery Fish (2013) by Bharti Kher. Kher was born in London and now lives and
works in India. Her perspective is one that feels especially interesting to me,
since her sense of both cultures have shaped who she has become and the art
that she creates.
It’s also special to see pieces of my childhood home make
their way to WAM. The Museum plans to commission a decorative jhula from the Indian state of Gujarat
that will one day be displayed in the Asian Art Gallery. The jhula is a porch swing with room for
two. It reminds me of dusty summer days in India. These pieces, like me, are
pieces of another world within this one. We bring our culture, traditions, and
stories with us.
To me, that is the beauty of this Museum. You can look at a piece
and feel at home and like you are learning something new at the same time. I am
proud to be a part of the fabric of the vibrant Worcester community, and even
prouder to see not only my rich heritage and culture, but the culture and
heritage of so many others, all on display in one place.
-Barin Bando, Guest Services Representative
(Originally from India, Barin Bando moved to Worcester in
1984. A shorter version of this WAM
Update appears in the Winter/Spring 2019 issue of access magazine.)