MICHELE ROOT
Toronto
High School Art Teacher

Q. Did you come to New York to visit “The Gates”?

A. Yes, we flew in Friday night and have been here for three days. I am totally freaked over this. I have been following his work for about 25 years and even made a little bag with his sketches on it as a souvenir. I am an art teacher, and my students and I actually made signs and posters for the artist to say hello from Toronto.

What was your initial reaction?

Well, we wanted to be in an art project, and here you totally are.

My experience has been meeting people. I made this bag as a conversational piece and we have had so many conversations with people from all over the world. Also, it is a beautiful, healing, warm orange. I spent some time in Thailand, and it’s the color of the monks’ robes. It can turn into a persimmon color sometimes, and then at other times, it is more golden, and then it gets very dark.

How many times have you been to the park since you arrived?

Four. We were here all day Saturday and then yesterday afternoon and at night. “The Gates” really do light up the park. They just absorb all the light in. We saw guys playing rugby in the mud, and it was beautiful to see New Yorkers use the park. It is like they are being tourists in their own city.

What else do you plan on doing while in New York City?

Now we are going to the MoMA. Yesterday we went to the Guggenheim Museum and the [Metropolitan Museum of Art]. We are not being very ambitious. We are really here for this.

Would you like to see the installation remain for longer than two weeks?

No, 16 days is beautiful, perfect. I wouldn’t alter anything they do. It is magic that it has this time limit. There is a sense of urgency to see it. I was so glad to be here for the first weekend. It is this moment in time that is precious.

Where is the best place to view “The Gates”?

That is one of the beautiful things about it. Wherever you go, you see a little magic.