Marsha Thompson

It is with sad hearts that the Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNCG announces the passing of our dear friend and colleague Marsha Thompson, who died at home on Thursday, June 27. A beloved security guard at the museum, Marsha was a welcoming and familiar presence to many visitors, UNCG faculty, staff and students. She was known for her caring, inquisitive nature and her ability to easily converse with the public. A fan of President Barack Obama, she displayed more than 3,000 collectibles of him in her home in a room that she hailed as the Obama-Rama Room. An early supporter of Obama, Marsha attended the President’s first inauguration as part of the Martin Luther King Foundation bus caravan – 15 buses from Greensboro that traveled to DC en masse. A 4 ½ hour tour of the White House in 2011 was another joy for her. Marsha was an active member of her church, an avid baker, and a tireless volunteer for both Obama campaigns, logging more than 1500 hours in one year. Before joining the staff of the Weatherspoon in 2003, Marsha was a transfer clerk at Sandy Ridge Department of Correction, transferring prisoners. For the past decade, she surrounded herself with art and those who appreciate it, often remarking that when she retired she planned to become a museum docent. She will be deeply missed. A memorial service at the Weatherspoon Art Museum will be planned for July. Funerary arrangements will be shared as they become available. Please feel welcome to call the Weatherspoon at (336) 334-5770 for details. Nancy Doll, Director Weatherspoon Art Museum The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Today's Special

Not mine to give

My father liked to grow tomatoes. He planted them all over his backyard. He often put them in odd places-anywhere there was a spot of dirt. At times there were so many tomatoes that he couldn’t pick them all. Many of them would just rot on the vine. On many occasions I would see him giving handfuls to the neighbor over the fence. One day I was mowing the grass and I saw our neighbor in the backyard. I stopped mowing and picked a few of the tomatoes and gave them away. My father witnessed this while standing on the back pouch and he waited until the neighbor had gone into her house. He became angry and wanted to know why I was giving away his tomatoes. I argued that I had seen him do this many times and that they were going to waste. He said they were not mine to give. Years later I was contacted by a reporter working on a big story about the golf tournament. I had not had a leadership role in the organization for a couple of years and I told this to the reporter. He asked me if I knew anything about an ongoing contract negotiation. I told him that I did and in fact I had copies of the contract in question. He got very excited and asked if I would provide him with this information. I told him no. These secrets were not mine to give. (I didn’t trouble him with a story about tomatoes in my father’s backyard.)

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Flea Market

Braves Game

Big in France

Look at this beat down.

2013 Heimlich Award

Failed Art Project