Sue Petry Day

Next Tuesday afternoon, October 6, friends and associates will gather at the Plains Art Museum to celebrate Sue Petry’s 27 years of service there. All of a sudden, her retirement effective Oct. 15 is just around the corner—effective October 15—even though we’ve known it was coming for months.

Speaking on behalf of HPR and its staff, current and previous, we wish Sue Petry the very best in life as she unfolds new chapters one day or page at a time. We also extend our most sincere gratitude for her guidance, leadership, inspiration and perspective she not only provided us but many of us in the broader community.

She’s a very grounded person, and around artists, that is a good trait.
 
Speaking personally, it’s hard to imagine Sue Petry NOT being at the Plains Art Museum, behind the scenes, shoring up whatever needed to be shored up.

One time, in a personal conversation, Sue explained that a good communications person makes others look good, not themselves.

Being as grounded as she is, every new fiscal year presented new pleasurable working moments with Sue. More than almost every professional in the field of marketing and communications, she mapped everything out, dotted every i, crossed every t, and months ahead of time.

The Plains Art Museum is certainly one of the crown jewels in Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo-Dillworth, and in the state and region. As a non-profit, and especially in tougher economic times, there is incredible value to brand and to position. In layman’s terms, the Plains is something akin to the Fargodome, it’s the big time, at least in these parts.

Executive directors and curators and staff came and went, more than we can remember off the cuff. Sue Petry celebrated their unique visions with enthusiasm and with nothing less than the highest confidence. She always did her best to help them do their best. Behind the scenes. Out of the limelight.

Yes, like a lot of folks, we will miss Sue Petry in her capacity at the Plains. And we honestly cannot visualize the place without her. We know the Plains will have a better future for all of us thanks to people like Sue Petry.

We know, also, that she’s being replaced by a very capable and talented individual and that the staff there is more than seasoned to continue their work, as envisioned, as planned.

We do so very much join in celebrating the place Sue Petry has held not only in HPR’s world, but our entire community’s. She done so well and we are all the better for it.

Thanks, Sue, and may your future horizons enliven and invigorate you. It was our joy and honor to have the privilege of such a deep, enriching personal and professional relationship with you. Next Tuesday will be YOUR day, where deservedly, YOU will be thanked and acknowledged.

God dang it’s nice to have people like that in our world.

HPR Exhibit Extension

Speaking of the Plains Art Museum, if you haven’t yet seen the 48 covers featured in the Plains lobby, you still have until October 12. They extended it nearly two weeks.

Raul Gomez is the featured artist. However several pieces are collaborations with other artists or their work entirely, artists such as Modern Man, William Block, Randy Schwartz, Jesse Anderson, Janeen Kobrinsky, Donald Renner, Jeff Nelson, Haney Photography, Wade Myszka, Sara Watson, Matt Mastrud and Ben Hamilton.

It’s a great exhibit. Go see it if you haven’t already.

Downtown Student Orientation

Come Thursday night, Oct. 15, businesses downtown Fargo will be hosting a Student Orientation night. What originally was going to be a single event at one location has evolved into a broader downtown event that showcases businesses big and small directly to the many students in our community.

There will be contests, samples, demonstrations, live music, art and specials. Many businesses are making arrangements to be open later that night to accommodate the students.

Next week’s HPR will provide a road map to participating businesses and what they are doing that night in particular for the students coming downtown.

Folks at MSUM played a big role in inspiring this idea. We are thinking it is something we can grow each year.

So pass the word: all students are invited to come down to Fargo on Thursday night, October 15. It will be a great chance to get personal tours of businesses and to meet each other.

We’ve also ordered great weather so the skate one-quarter pipe will for sure be a show stopper draw.

Let’s celebrate the influx of students and roll out the red carpet for them Thursday, Oct. 15.

Gov. Bill Guy

HPR’s listing of birthdays each month is becoming something of a great little tradition. Sometimes, however, just having a name in the grouping does not quite do justice to the real occasion to be marked.

So, yes, Gov. William L. Guy’s name was in our September birthday listing a month ago. What we did not point out, however, was that he would be turning 90 on the 30th.
North Dakota has such immense legacy in leaders like Gov. Bill Guy. We understand he and Jean, married 60-plus years, celebrated with their family in Lindenwood Park over the weekend. We join in wishing him the very best.

October Birthdays

Happy birthdays to the following who celebrate this month: Holly Hassler, Glenn Washington, Kevin Carvell, Cheryl Bergian, Jeanie McMerty, John Mehlhoff, Randy Anderson, Carl Wilte, Brenda Weiler, Robert Ford, Chris Berreth, Mary Tintes, Russ Knopp, Zach Kobrinsky, Staci Lavelle, Spencer Paldor, Carolyn Nelson, Bunnie Johnson-Messelt, Russ Shawcross, K.C. Hanson, Doug Nayes, Chuck Fleming, Jena Landberg, Adam Hagen, Jackie L. Thompson, Dorothy Wentz, Paul Meyers, Karen Strand, Joyce Rude, Randy Paulson, Cassie Tweten, Sara Weiler, Nick Thorsteinson, David Butler, Ruth Ulvog, Jesse Quam, Trish Clayburgh, Magda Szeitz, Mitch Marr, Ann Olivia Elling, Bill Gates, Leanne Russell, Jeanette Stoker-Larson, Rex Zent, Leslie Stephenson, Julie Schemp, Lana Suomala, Chris Ellefson, Evan Weber, Jason Rowe, Heidi Heitkamp, Ann Cadwalader, and Marie Lucero.