As a member of the board , I was aware of the struggles and growing pains the museum went through during those early years . However , Jack Canine was committed to the success of the project and truly put his money where his mouth was . Having gone through a succession of museum directors who were not banjo specialists , in 2003 Jack asked me if I would be interested in the position . While I had no museum background and little interest in uprooting my young family , Jack convinced me that the museum needed someone like me ( and , let ’ s face it , everyone likes to be needed ). While such a move represented a big change from my performing career ( not to mention , a major upheaval for my family ), the financial security which Jack assured us allowed my wife , Sara , and I to raise our children without the uncertainty associated with a musical performance career . So , in 2004 I accepted the museum director ’ s position and we moved from Orlando to Edmond , Oklahoma .
My presence at the museum seemed to energize Jack to take ever growing and bolder steps to develop the museum into the world-class facility that he envisioned . In 2006 he again entrusted me , this time to negotiate the overseas purchase of the Dierk Frerich ’ s collection of over 200 American made banjos from the jazz age of the 1920s . This million-dollar acquisition immediately found us outgrowing our small Guthrie museum and looking for a new home . While we seriously explored several locales via a nationwide site search , having become established with an Oklahoma identity resulted in our decision to stay relatively put . When a 1920s vintage warehouse in the Bricktown district of downtown Oklahoma City became available , Jack was decisive in stating this to be our new home . He purchased the building , put money in the bank to fund a complete building renovation , and established an endowment with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation which was ( and is ) the museum ’ s primary source of operational funding .
Considering I am not an architect or contractor , the belief and trust which Jack showed in me through the renovation and relocation process was extraordinary . With almost no direction or micromanagement I was given complete creative control over a project that , in Jack ’ s words , should end up being “ the best banjo museum you can imagine .” Having worked extensively and absorbing the architectural wonders at both the Walt Disney World Resort and Church Street Station in Orlando , I don ’ t know if Jack knew how broad my imagination could get (!) but , after calming me down a bit , we ended up with a facility that he and I are both very proud of .
It needs to be mentioned that while I was being consumed by the new museum ’ s renovation ( frankly hoping to complete the project while Jack was still alive as he was going through some serious health issues at the time ), I was unaware that Jack was simultaneously working with the Franciscan Health System in Crawfordsville , providing the funding
10 ALL FRETS SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020