On October 19th, 2024 the Paul Ruschá LIFE MASK exhibition opened in the Winslow Studio Artist’s Gallery at Affeldt Mion Museum. It was a spectacular weekend, bringing in friends and family from near and far to celebrate the wonder of our friend Paul in this overview exhibit. Our thanks to everyone who attended the opening.
The Idea
On January 16, 2024 Allan Affeldt, Paul, Special Projects Manager Dan Lutzick, artist John Suttman, Tina Mion, and AMM Creative Director Lori Bentley Law met over lunch to brainstorm what would replace the Licher Collection of Navajo Weavings when that exhibit ended in August.
Allan pitched the idea of doing a show of Paul’s work. We all unanimously agreed, although Paul somewhat hesitantly. We finished our meal and headed to the Winslow Studio Artists gallery to start planning both the inside and the outside space.
The Deep Dig
We all know Paul is an intensely creative person, but he is not someone who talks about his work. Determining what would be exhibited was–as Dan described in the forward to Paul’s catalogue–like an archeological dig. Paul, of course, kept suggesting we show his collection of art versus his created art. Allan would always steer him back. In the process of putting together this show, we all discovered things about Paul’s work we did not know and had so much fun doing it.
The Exhibitition Film
As one of Paul’s longtime friends, Rea Baldridge, said, Paul’s greatest work of art, is himself. She was absolutely right. But how to show that in an exhibit? Through video. Lori began work immediately on a film to accompany the exhibit, traveling to L.A. and Oklahoma City to gather interviews and to shadow Paul in all of his various environs.
Pulling the Show Together
The calligraphy wall was the easiest part of the show. This is what Paul is most known for, and we all have treasured collections of Paul’s calligraphy, which we added to the entry canyon, along with the postcards he used to promote his calligraphy.
As we worked on the other elements and got deeper into planning the show, the more a consistent theme began to emerge: Paul’s unique way of seeing value and art in things most people do not, and his repurposing of materials. With each step along the way, the story became more cohesive. Each piece fell into place and formed the story of Paul.
The Materials
In addition to compiling the art, Paul and Lori worked together to create a seventy-five page catalog, a chronology of Paul’s life, vinyl banners for the exterior, and new signage for El Gran. It was an exciting day unpacking all of these great materials. Poor Dan had the daunting task of putting them all in place, but as always, did a stellar job.
Around the museum…
In addition to the new banners for the exterior wall, we also cleaned up the area in front of the museum, including moving the James Turrell Argosy trailer and landscaping the area. We also painted a mural on the raw cinderblock wall, featuring the significant places for Paul along Route 66. Read more about that, here.
Over at El Gran Garage…
Lori and Paul worked a new sign design, which Nolan then installed.
Plus, we added something special to the circular window at El Gran, visible from the Winslow Studio Artists gallery.
Yes. Paul’s LIFE MASK image, which glows at night.
The Reception
The Friday before the show opened, Paul hosted a reception at El Gran Garage. Brother Ed Ruscha came into town, in addition to many of Paul’s friends from Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, and beyond. The charcuterie and pizza from Dough Mama was a big hit, as were the cupcakes by local baker Sierra Kolomitz. We also premiered the film, giving a deeper look into the mind of Paul. Despite the i40 closure west of Flagstaff, everyone made it to the party. We thank them for making the trip and creating such a special evening for Paul.
Opening Day
The day started with a big group breakfast at the Turquoise Room to cheer Paul on for the day ahead.
And then we opened the doors to LIFE MASK! After eight months of planning and installing we were thrilled to give the public a peek inside the creative mind of Paul Ruschá.
The group also got to enjoy a sneak peak into the 502 Pleasure Dome, a future project. Sitting in the glass-domed car with a fun group of people made us all think about what it must have been like to travel this way. Paul of course, had everyone in stiches. It was a perfect way to close out a joyous weekend celebrating Paul.
Thank you to everyone who made this day so special!
If you were not able to make the opening, have no fear. The exhibit will be up through October 2025. We encourage you to come get lost in the magic that is, Paul Ruschá.
Next up!
During the event, Dan Lutzick led attendees on a tour through the various Winslow Studio Artist spaces! More on that in the next post.
