The Art of the Brick

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If you live long enough, you’ll make mistakes.

But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person.

It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you.

The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.

—President Bill Clinton

the world

of President

Clinton

Globe

In 2011 and 2012, I had my art on display at the

Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. I

was thrilled enough to have an exhibition at such an

amazing venue, but a few months later I got a call from

the Clinton camp, saying, “If you can find the time, the

president would like to meet you.” You’re not asked

to meet a president every day, so Courtney and I flew

back to Little Rock. I’d heard that President Clinton

collected globes, so I made him one and put it in my

carry-on.

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We arrived at the library, and they said that I would

literally have two minutes with him to just say hi and

take a picture, and that would be it. I was more than

happy with that. Of course, things seemed to get

even more frantic, and a staffer simply asked us to

meet him as he was getting out of the elevator, for a

quick hello before he vanished for a press conference.

Well, President Clinton came out of the elevator, and I

was completely starstruck.

Being an ex-lawyer, I’m pretty good at talking, but the

whole leader-of-the-free-world thing really got the

better of me. Fortunately, Courtney was there to help

me find my words.

We presented the globe, and President Clinton was

so nice and very complimentary about my work.

Then he said, “Why don’t you come into this press

conference with me?” So he pulled us into this room,

and he introduced us to all these amazing people

who are lined up, waiting to talk to him. He spoke

about getting arts into education, and about the Thea

Foundation. He finished his press conference and

we’re still by his side, and there are more people to

meet, when a little boy comes up and says, “I want

to get my picture with you.” President Clinton says,

“Of course, of course, right here, son,” and the boy

replies, “No, not you! With the LEGO guy!”

The president laughed louder than anyone.

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