Interviewed by Amelia Alexander
Gary Wells is one of my favorite teachers. The best part of my day during sophomore year was often our banter while I was working on my art. When I tried to think of the most interesting person to interview, Mr. Wells came to mind.
Icon: “How would you define art?”
Mr. Wells: My college professor asked us this question so of course we were like “well why don’t you define art!” Anyways, my favorite artist has a piece called Where Do We Come from? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Inspired by that, my professor said that art should answer two important questions: “Who am I and why am I here?” So that’s how I also answer that question.
Icon: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Mr Wells: (laughs) I wanted to be a cowboy, probably. When I was growing up I had like 4 channels, one of which played a lot of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne movies.
Icon: What are your summer plans?
Mr Wells: Getting a new metal roof, which will probably encompass all of my time and money this summer. (laughs)
Icon: What was the last movie or TV show that made you cry?
Mr. Wells: Moneyball (is shocked when I said that I had never seen it.) You have to watch it now! Any sports movie makes me cry for some reason! I always have to leave the room or cover up.
Icon: What is the funniest thing a student has ever said during your class?
Mr. Wells: Well, a former student, Bailey Bowers, actually filled out a small sketchbook full of funny quotes that she had overheard over the four years she spent in my classroom. My favorite that I can remember is, “I feel so grown up, I drove myself to the pediatrician!” I think it may have been your sister, Olivia Alexander, that said that!
Icon: If you could have lunch with anybody in the world, who would you choose?
Mr. Wells: (thinks and laughs) “You’re going to think it’s stupid. I would choose Adam Duritz, the lead singer of the Counting Crows.”
Icon: What’s your favorite book?
Mr. Wells: (thinks for a long while) “Hmm. I really like Catcher in the Rye. I actually read that when I was in the military. I was on like a 24-hour fire watch. That’s the only book I’ve read in less than 24 hours.”
Icon: What’s your best advice?”
Mr. Well: (laughs) The first thing that comes to mind is, don’t burn bridges with people, especially in a small town. You might need their help later. It’s hard to be nice to people especially when they’ve hurt your kids, but in a place like Ada, you kind of have to be nice because you’re going to have to see them again.
Icon: Are you a morning person or a night person?
Mr. Wells: I’m a morning person. I’m always the first one awake in my house. I like waking up to a quiet house.
Icon: “Did you play any sports in high school?”
Mr Wells: (sigh) Yeah cross country. I was so bad that it took me until my junior year to earn a letter in it. My best time was just under 21 minutes.
Icon: Who is your favorite artist?
Mr. Wells: Paul Guagian. He abandoned his family to travel to Tahiti, so he kinda was a bad person, but his artwork is incredible. He was close with Van Gogh and they lived together for a little while. His well-known work was the stuff he did in Tahiti.
Icon: Who is your favorite Alexander?
Mr Wells: (laughs does not hesitate) Shelleigh.
