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In Honor of David Gulassa, January 12, 2001 Twenty seven years ago in Oakland, California, I was hired to teach 7th and 8th grade at the newly formed Renaissance School. That opportunity profoundly affected me both personally and professionally. I encountered students who forever changed my perceptions by setting a very high standard of ability and capability. David was one of these students. He was funny, and always ready with a quip or comment. He was quirky, and a trend setter among his peers, from mismatched socks to rapidograph pens. He was accepting and friendly to all. His academic and art projects showed his unique slant on life. Most of all, he was both creative and talented. His drawings flowed from his pen with passion and detail. When all the students were asked to write, "What Picasso Means to Me", I still have in my notes what Alan Waidley wrote. He said, "Picasso is my favorite artist next to David Gulassa." I continued to teach in other classrooms and in other places, but David was my early opportunity to see a truly gifted student in action in an environment that gave him an arena for his wonderful talents. Now I am 52. I realize how very young David was when I knew him best. Yet, he was already confidently following his path to adult life as artist and artisan. In 1976, while the Gulassa family was spending a year on the east coast and after George and I had moved to Rhode Island, we were lucky enough to spend a weekend hiking with David and Lise on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. David was the leader as we negotiated setting up a tent in the dark on Friday night and climbing a narrow rocky trail the next day. We laughed when we emerged at the 6,000 foot summit. We realized that others had just driven to the top. We agreed that we had all liked doing it the hard way. George and I took note of David’s energy and enthusiasm on the trail and his acceptance of us as "older" companions. We kept up with David’s later life in Gulassa family Christmas letters, and learned of his further adventures and accomplishments when we would meet Harriet and Cyril in Oakland, Ashland, or Tacoma. We had a chance to visit David at his studio and workshop in Washington. I saw that he was a man who had the same qualities he had as a boy. He was still a very spirited, very able and very special person doing what he loved. He will always exist in my memory as a focused and talented boy who became a focused and talented man. David’s spirit is on a new path now. May he reach the summit and beyond. |