Finding the “Good Stuff” in learning and in life
Alumni spotlight: Lisa Middag

-- Lindsay Wynner

During her twenty-year quest for a college degree, Lisa Middag has learned a thing or two about inspiration. Whether it was her work at the Walker Art Center, her humanities courses at the university, or her passion for the arts—personal and professional enrichment have surrounded her.

Originally, Middag pursued filmmaking studies at Metropolitan State University. This complemented her work as a film accountant, though she added many literature courses as well. She eventually realized that her courses were leading her more towards a double major in Humanities and English—a journey which ended with her graduation in December 2004.

Though it is far from where she started, Middag seems happy with her decision to break away from filmmaking. She worked with an advisor to create an individualized program that best matched her interests and career ambitions. She says, “I realized how strong [my program] was in the humanities, and how important I thought they were in helping us to understand our place in the world.”

She relished her courses in literature, philosophy and sociology, and feels that the university’s classroom culture encourages a lot of hands-on application, student discussion, and respect for diverse opinions. She says, “I always felt that my professors, classmates and I were engaged in a mutual exploration for more of the ‘good stuff.’”

Some may wonder why anyone would trade Hollywood for humanities. Middag explains, “I wasn’t fortunate enough…to be working with brilliant directors. It couldn’t have helped that I was working on very average, even bad, movies.”

Though it is not where she originally saw herself, Middag’s current job at the Walker Art Center is exciting in its own way. After her antifilm epiphany, Lisa spent time focusing on Minnesota organizations that fell in line with her interests. Walker happened to be one of them, and she took what she calls a “slightly sassy and original” approach to the application process. The tactic worked, and she became an administrative assistant in Walker’s visual arts group.

In her current position as design studio and publications manager, Middag is responsible for the organization of several hundred projects completed at the Walker each year. Her tasks include negotiating with suppliers, coordinating exhibit media, and managing the publications program. She’s eager to see the public’s response to the newly redesigned Walker. She says, “Our effort to change the dynamic with our audiences is genuine, and happening at more levels than the architecture, but we won’t know for a while if we’ve been successful.”

At the heart of her enthusiasm for her job are some of Middag’s many passions—fine art, film and the performing arts. In fine art, she prefers pieces that are, at once, aesthetic, but subsequently inspiring. For example, she says, “Shirin Neshat’s work is so striking and beautiful, but then there is this very strong personal and political exploration happening as well.” It is this emotional undertone of the human experience that she is most drawn to.

Forever a humanities student, Middag has, perhaps, a more pronounced appreciation for the world and its varying cultures. She’s been blessed with many opportunities to travel abroad, including visits to Prague, Budapest and Hong Kong. She feels that travel is a great way for people to understand their ancestral roots, and to build stronger relationships with immigrants living in the United States. She says, “Nothing beats actually stepping through the streets of a foreign city to understand someone else’s point of view and get a new perspective on our own experience. And [immigrants from] these populations are influencing American culture just as our grandparents did, so we’d better get to know our new neighbors.”

With these diverse cultural and professional experiences, Middag has been able to extract more than just book smarts from her courses at Metropolitan State. Based on her own perseverance, she encourages all adult learners to stick with it, even if their schedules allow them to take only one course at a time. Mostly, she hopes students won’t become so involved in obtaining their degree that they fail to appreciate the journey—one which has meant infinitely more to her than just a piece of paper.

The newly expanded Walker Art Center reopened on April 17. For more information on the redesign, plus hours and directions, please call 612- 375-7622, or visit http://www.walkerart.org.

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