monday's mulling: never too old {october 16, 2023}

T and I went to the Downtown Dayton Metro Library to see a photo exhibit, "Jobs from A to Z" by area  photographer Bill Franz who had his 101 year old father-in-law assist him.

In Franz’s words:

“I started this series because the memory loss of my father-in-law Wally Willaman was making our time together difficult. I hoped that we could avoid discussions of the past by having fun working on a project in the present. It worked. We had a ball.

I told Wally that when we finished our art would be in an exhibition, thinking that would keep him interested in the project. But I knew it was likely that we never would make it to the end. Wally is 101, and I knew the project would take at least six months.  

Well six months later we've made it all the way to "Z is for Zookeeper" and Wally's still going strong. And the work will be exhibited twice.  Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor has an active arts in healthcare program. They will display "Jobs from A to Z" from March 11 to May 31, 2024 in a gallery where thousands of people will walk by it each day.

But Ann Arbor is too far for Wally to travel, so Jayne Klose, the library's Community Engagement Manager, helped us out. She invited us to exhibit at Dayton Metro Library. Wally and I hope people have as much fun viewing this art as we did making it.”

                                                                                       A is for Accordionist

B is for Bronc Rider

E is for Engineer 

F is for Florist

                                                                                      C is for Carpenter

D is for Dancer

G is for Glassblower

H is for Handyman

                                                                          I is for Ice Cream Vendor

J is for Jeweler

L is for Lineman

M is for Mail Carrier

K is for Kettle Maker

N is for National Park Ranger

                                                                               O is for Orchestra Musician

P is for Propeller Maker

Q is for Quality Inspector

R is for Riveter

                                                                                     S is for Sculptor

T is for Tattoo Artist

W is for Welder 

X is for Xylophonist

                                                                                 U is for Upholstery Cutter

V is for Videographer

Y is for Yoga Instructor

Z is for Zookeeper

When asked what he wanted people to know about working with Franz, Willaman replied with, “Tell them that even when people are my age, you can still squeeze some work out of them.” 

All the photos are signed by Bill Franz and Wally Willaman.