MS01.03.03.B11.F15.0002

[Illustration: Window in My Office]
In Mid April, 1974, I had a telephone call from Rexford Stead, Deputy Director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art telling me of plans that had been discussed to arrange for a Bicentennial Exhibition at the L.A.C.M.A that would be historical in nature and comprehensive enough in format to broadly index many of the major works in painting, sculpture, the graphic arts and the crafts that had never been assembled in one exhibition prior to this time. We talked about the good of such a show in bringing to the public an important segment of American culture not too well known to the majority culture of the West Coast. But it was equally stressed that the format of the exhibition should lend itself to the learning experiences of all Americans. It was assumed that many Black Americans would already be familiar with much of the content of the show. No special emphasis was placed on content during the conversation at hand. We decided to leave the idea open until such time that I could survey my own time and really think about the project.
We talked a few other times during the month of May after which a number of letters ensued. It was mid-June before I went to Los Angeles to talk with museum officials about the project. By this time, Summer had come along and I was busy catching up with the summer work at the place in Falmouth, Maine -- which included gardening among many other things.
I travelled to the L.A.C.MA on June 12 to make a presentation to the board about the feasibility of the exhibition. I presented a proposal which summarize the basis of the project to the full board of the Museum and it was well received.