Vijay & me
I knew I was going to run into Mr. Iyer before I left my apartment this morning. I sat in on his first performance in the morning in the intimate first gallery at the New Met Breuer. Afterwards I was getting ready to do a walk through at the Breuer before I started my shift with the family day drawing activity inspired by the beautiful work of Indian artist Nasreen Mohamedi and I noticed Vijay coming towards me. He was completely by himself. I suspect on his way to his second and final performance of the day and I had to stop him and tell him how important the Veteran’s Project work I heard last November at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was and is. Everyone should experience it, especially every American. He told me it was traveling around and other people have been using the soundtrack for other works which he said made him very happy. I also told him I heard him play in Harlem and he responded, The Harlem Stage,” and I said yes. I met him first then a few years back. I had to get his autograph of course at that time I had been so excited. He asked me what I did and I told him I had the privilege of designing Meredith Monk’s logo for her 50th year and I thoroughly enjoyed following her work during that exciting year. I completely forgot to tell him that I am an artist, teaching artist and museum educator among other things. He then asked my name and I told him my first name. We walked up the stairs together and I thanked him for his music. We parted ways and I went into the elevator to the fifth floor by mistake and returned to the second floor to try and recenter myself to teach. Vijay & me.
