A win for Joan Q. Public

Jo Ann Pellegrin Caillouet is a retired educator wo lives in Houma. Although she is retired from teaching she is not retired from learning, and has an insatiable curiosity about her community and the world within which it is contained.

In this manner Miss Jo Ann is like a lot of other folks, not an extremist on one political side or another, not wrapped up in jargon and partisan matters, and in every way the “reasonable person” the law refers to when it comes to what people may presume. In this way she is indeed “Joan Q. Public,” even though we know who she is by name.

She has asked me questions about a lot of things I have covered and written about, always with courtesy, and always expressing a sincere desire to know and understand things better.

So I while back Miss Jo Ann contacted me about something that was troubling her.

There is a sculpture that has stood in front of the U.S. Post Office on Lafayette Street in Houma. Called “Cane Dance,” it was the product of a sculptor named Lin Emery. “Cane Dance” was commissioned under the Art In Architecture Program of the General Services Administration.

If you haven’t seen it, Cane Dance is a fascinating, wavy kind of aluminum thing which no doubt emulates the movement of cane. You may not have even noticed it if you passed.

But Miss Jo Ann noticed it was missing and started asking questions. I started asking around. Nobody in local government seemed to know anything about the sculpture or where it had gone.

I’ll admit it wasn’t on the top of my priority list, although I made a good faith effort. And I’ll admit this is what happens sometimes in the madness of journalistic triage.

So a few weeks ago she received a message from Hugo A. Gardea, Architect Historic Preservation and Fine Arts Officer from a General Services Administration office in Texas.

“It is good to know there are concerned citizens with the condition and status of GSA fine arts, especially at the Ellender Federal Building in Houma. Let us assure you the sculpture will be returning,” he wrote. “Time and weather have taken a toll on the artwork and if the sculpture remained in place, its ball-bearing joints were at risk of breaking. This prompted GSA’s decision to remove the artwork for conservation purposes. During conservation, the sculpture’s joints will be repaired and the structural supports, hardware, and deteriorated aluminum will be replaced. The sculpture will be cleaned and refinished. In addition, new internal bearings will ensure the kinetic aspect of the sculpture is fully operational, as the artist, Lin Emery, intended. The holes that have been filled were done so with precaution in mind so that water does not enter into the concrete base and further deteriorate the structural reinforcing. In accordance with professional conservation standards, all treatment will be reversible and the character of the artwork will not change. We anticipate that Cane Dance will be re-installed back in its previous location sometime in June 2019. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.”

I am still waiting for responses to my various shot-in-the-dark inquiries, and this shows that sometimes John or Joan Public can certainly outshine those of us who call ourselves professionals.

Asked how she explains her success, Miss Jo Ann gave a simple answer.

“I persisted,” she proudly said.