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 Gauguin. 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.