Film director John Waters has donated his entire art collection to the Baltimore Museum of Art, and in return he required only that they name the museum’s restrooms after him. It seems a fitting gesture for John Waters—known for both his toilet humor and his allegiance to Baltimore—but he says he had to fight for this consideration: “People thought I was kidding.” Putting this part of it aside, we should not lose sight of the fact that this is a serious art collection whose 375 pieces includes works by Roy Lichtenstein, Cindy Sherman, Cy Twombly, and Andy Warhol, among many others. Now back to the fun part: Waters seems to have really thought through this restroom thing. He’s aware that his first and last name already suggest a bathroom, and on that topic he remarked: “Bathrooms are always unmentionable. Sometimes people meet in bathrooms. You never know. And at the same time, it just went along with my sense of humor and the kind of art that I appreciate.” But his fondest hope is that the John Waters Restrooms will become a giant draw for tourists, with lines flowing out the door. “Maybe people will come from all over the world to eliminate there. That will be something that the Maryland Tourist Bureau can push.”
Discussion1 Comment
I believe that John Waters lived in Provincetown in 1971. I seem to recall a possible special midnight showing of PINK FLAMINGOS at the theatre on the wharf before its official release. I wish that my good friend and film partner Arthur Bressan, Jr. ( PASSING STRANGERS, GAY USA, BUDDIES, ABUSE) had lived long enough for their inevitable meeting. The world does not know what was lost… Dennis