I've previously shared something extraordinary I witnessed during a charity gala held at the museum at which I hold a very high position of authority. One of the gala attendees, who happens to be one of the most glamorous, lovely, and famous women in America, upon encountering a long queue at the ladies room, slipped out of the party and into an area of the museum that had been designated off limits. I followed her, and still can't believe what I saw. This elegant beauty, believing herself to be completely alone, deliberately urinated on the floor of the institution, in a gallery filled with priceless paintings and antiquities.
I caught up with her as she made her way back to the party. While subtly implying that I had seen what she did, I offered to give her a private tour of the museum. I had found something deeply exciting in what I witnessed, and wanted to share that excitement with her, while letting her know that her secret was safe. Honestly, I expected that to be the end of things. Although a treasured memory, the incident slipped from the forefront of my mind as time marched on.
Several months later, my office phone rang and I found myself speaking to a woman whose voice I did not recognize. To my surprise, it was the actress herself! She apologized for not reaching out sooner, but explained she had been filming on location out of the country but she wanted an opportunity to take me up on my generous offer.
I told her it was quite all right, and that frankly, I had never expected to hear from her again at all. I was also surprised that she had called me directly as I frequently deal with the wealthy and powerful, and often only ever speak to agents, assistants, or other intermediaries. But with her, there was none of that. She told me that she had enjoyed visiting our museum in the past, and also informed me that she had an intense interest in the arts. Had she not gone into modeling and acting, she would have studied art history in college. She maintained an interest in the subject and read up on it in her downtime.
Not to dwell on the procedural details, but she wanted everything kept low key and informal. We arranged for her to come to museum on a Sunday afternoon because the museum would be closed to the public and few additional staff would be present.
She arrived at the scheduled time wearing a sleeveless dark gray top over a long thin white skirt with black stripes. The skirt was cut with slits that ran from her ankles to a few inches above her knees, offering me a pleasing glimpse of her tan and well-toned legs. She appeared comfortable and fashionable, though I'm sure with her elfin face and curvaceous body she'd appear resplendent no matter what she wore. Her hair, blonde last time I had seen her, was now dark brown. She looked perhaps more lovely as a brunette.
Over the next few hours, I led her on a guided tour of our galleries, showing her the highlights that everyone who visits wants to see, as well as some lesser-known but quite interesting pieces. Near the end of the tour, we found ourselves back in Gallery 15, home to works by 16th century Italian and Spanish masters (as well as a very happy memory).
The last time I had seen her in this place, she had drawn up the hem of her evening gown, squat down, and sent an amber stream of pee cascading down to wood and granite floor. I have no way of knowing what she was thinking, but her demeanor betrayed no malice, mischief, or intoxication. When the need arose, it was as though she simply felt entitled to pee wherever she pleased. Despite standing in the very room she had, depending on one's point of view, desecrated or consecrated with that golden surge from between her legs, I made no mention of the events from that night. If she thought about them at all, her body language betrayed nothing.
As the tour wound toward its conclusion, I mentioned that only a small fraction of the museum's collection was on display. She became excited at the topic of curation, and asked if she could see some of the 'behind the scenes' workings of the museum. Since she was so keenly interested, I agreed to show her more. Who wouldn't want to spend more time with such a delightful woman? We started with the preservation and restoration areas. Now, this story isn't about museum management and operations, so I'll skip the details. But, suffice to say, I was impressed by her knowledge of art and her intellectual curiosity. Having seen the galleries, the workshops, and the back offices, I offered to take her down to the archive, if she wanted to see it.
The archive holds a significant percentage of the collection. Pieces that are not on permanent display rotated are in and out as necessary. Keeping the collection organized, orderly, and safe is important work. Short our educational mission; it is perhaps the institution's most important task. For that reason, access to the warehouse is not granted haphazardly. Few people even know its location.