Connections/The View

I'm Debra McDowell, I'm the vice president for Human Resources. And my topic today is "The View."

The view is about possibilities. So many different views that I've had in my life. I see this piece and I can be someplace for real. A view can be to the outside; a view can be to the inside.

I'm an observer. And in dealing with people, I think about what their view is from the inside, what their view is from the outside, trying to help, trying to coach. It's about reaching beyond where you are.

I grew up on a thirty-acre farm, and the view could be of trees, it could be of crops, it could be of animals playing

it could be of parked cars or other houses. There's always something to look at. It's interesting, growing up on a farm how I seem to be comfortable living in the city.

Odd for me to be here, but I've been here for fifteen years. I like the pace, I like the variety that a city gives.

The arts, whether it's the visual arts, the art of dance, the art of music, so many opportunities to explore.

I'm a thinker, I like to examine. I love looking in windows and seeing what's happening

who's cooking what, who's watching what TV show, who's listening to music, who's reading a book.

The spirit around the life of the city. It's rich, there's so many views. You don't always have such a wonderful view

but here, you see people taking advantage of that. To look outside a window, that's moving art to me, that's living art.

I recently moved into an apartment where I have a new visual, in terms of what that window has to show. When you're in it, you feel the pulse of a city and you want to be a part of that pulse.

It's outside of a city that it's peaceful, it's quiet. Maine is where I go to find my rest and my peace. That could be me, sitting at a table with a cup of tea and a window, thinking about today and yesterday, and all the possibilities.

When I stay in Maine, I stay in a house that sits on a cliff. Waves crashing against the ocean, that's what I hear, and that's what I get to see sometimes. You

feel freshness and beauty, and you want to sit and rest with it. It's a quiet, peaceful spirit. Wherever I go in Maine, I try to make a point of visiting lighthouses. Sitting out on the rocks to take a look at a lighthouse and watch it from the beginning of the day to the end of the day, how it guides those who are outside on its waters.

I love landscapes. This one stood out to me as a very quiet, warm peace that reaches me. It's a summer and autumn landscape.

The Autumn Grasses in Moonlight, it's a different take on Maine, in a different space, in a different part of the world.

When I see it, I feel the calmness that I feel when I'm in Maine.

Venice! That takes me to a wonderful trip that I've had recently. I went during a quieter time, fall and the winter. Simply fascinated by

what's available in that city, reminds me of New York. There are windows where you can capture so many views.

When I look at these views, I put myself there thinking about the possibilities.

The museum's a busy place. There are 2,200 people here that I have some form of responsibility for.

Given the pace of the institution and the challenges that we face, it's wonderful to be able to walk away

and see a piece that can take you to a quiet moment

that can allow you to think and balance all the issues that you have to face.

So it makes a difference.