A Day in the Life: Jonathan Blake

 

Boasting 6,000 square feet of gallery space, the Middlebury College Museum of Art represents an invaluable part of the College’s academic and artistic resources. To maintain this integral part of campus and the greater Middlebury community, the museum employs a diverse array of staff members whose responsibilities range from curatorial work to security duties. These dedicated individuals work throughout the year to organize and facilitate the museum’s various feature exhibitions as well as the permanent collection. One such individual is Jonathan Blake, a soft-spoken and warm museum security monitor whose services and commitment to the school extend far beyond his duties as a museum monitor.

Holding positions in various departments around campus on and off for the past 20 years, Blake has worked for media services, assisting with technical audio and visual work, as well as the library, supervising the circulation desk.  Now a museum security monitor, a job he has held for about eight years, Blake expanded, “a monitor’s main function is related to making sure the art stays safe and that people interact with the art in ways that help preserve the works.”

Although monitor duties include physically supervising the museum’s various galleries and exhibits, in addition to watching surveillance footage, Blake acknowledges the educational aspect of his work too.

“We want to make sure that visitors have good experiences so in that way our role is very educational,” he said.

Blake, born in what he fondly refers to as Vermont’s “inverted sister state — New Hampshire,” describes himself as “someone who loves art and has gone to many museums,” a hobby he has pursued since his childhood. Cognizant of museum culture and etiquette from a young age, Blake admitted, “The thought of being so close to an object [in a museum] that you would touch it is very alien to me.”

However, the College’s museum-goers sometimes wind up very close to pieces, accidentally touching objects.

“We have some works that are very old and fragile,” said Blake. “We don’t want to take any chances that threaten the integrity of the art.”

To ensure the art’s safety, Blake must remind viewers to abide by certain rules. He sums up the way he approaches these encounters by stating, “It’s more of a corrective, suggestive way of saying that we care very much about this [art] and want to preserve [it] as long as we can, and most people understand.”

Because of his passion for art while growing up, Blake earned an undergraduate degree in the fine arts, with a focus in photography, from the University of New Hampshire. While at school, Blake served as the photo editor for the university’s newspaper and yearbook, kick- starting a career and lifelong interest in photojournalism. Blake’s nearly two decade-long involvement at Middlebury represents only a small portion of his vast work experience.

“I used to be the photographer for The Addison Independent, a local newspaper, I was in charge of photography at The Portsmouth Herald in New Hampshire for a couple years, and I’ve done freelance work for The Boston Globe and the Associated Press,” he said.

Perhaps most interesting, was Blake’s stint on former president George Bush Sr.’s “death watch;” stationed at Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire, Blake would wait for Air Force One to land, his camera ready to capture any potential mishaps on the runway.

With such varied work experience, Blake contributes his expertise to Middlebury not only as one of the museum’s security monitors, but also as a freelance photographer.

The museum has used Blake’s photographs for installation purposes, to document and highlight certain works on display or visiting exhibits.

“I try to photograph things in a telling but also interesting way, so it’s both documentary and artistic at the same time,” said Blake about his approach to photography. Blake also adds to the museum’s coverage by capturing images at special museum events like the openings of new exhibitions.

The museum hosts six to eight temporary exhibitions every year, a feature which has allowed Blake to closely observe and interact with a wide spectrum of artwork in many different mediums. When asked about his favorite or most memorable exhibit at the museum, Blake replied, “The Edward Burtynsky exhibit right now is one of my favorites … [because it] combines my passions for the visual arts and the environment.”

Burtynsky’s photographs comment on the geological and cultural history of Vermont with their depictions of the state’s quarries, an exhibit, which Blake appreciates for both the technical aspect of Burtynsky’s photographs, in addition to the images’ implicit social commentary.

Personifying the Middlebury spirit, with his varied interests and penchant for the visual arts, Blake calls the College a “cultural oasis” surrounded by a diverse landscape, overall a “wonderful workplace.” Blake takes advantage of all Middlebury has to offer, attending talks and lectures as well as using the fitness center.

“The work-life realm is so interesting here,” he commented. However, perhaps closest to Blake’s heart are the remarkable opportunities the museum offers to students and the public. Blake explains this invaluable relationship by citing Professor and Associate Curator of Ancient Art Pieter Broucke’s introductory speech for the Burtynsky exhibit: “the museum is the largest classroom on campus.”