It's going to be long -cuz I want to try hard not to forget any of the experience. Writing it now has me trying to preserve it. As I write all these details keep coming out. So here goes volume 1.
How can I even begin to record the excellent events of the past few weeks>>?
I am wishing I could have stopped the clock amidst all the flurry so I could have updated this blog about the wondrous happenings! An honest attempt I shall make --to record the events and emotions as they occurred. But the way it turned out, I have had to wait till now to unveil pictures of the show and the tale of how it went down.
Pre Show Jitters and Issues
Imagine my luck. The show was on my mind for months prior to the opening. I had my email from Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts stating that the show was on Sept. 27 from 1 - 3. I had informed all my family and friends about the times as soon as it was a month away. I created a Facebook event so that I could keep my peeps informed. I could see them confirming that they were going to attend daily. MVCA sends out postcards to their own mailing list, and also to the people on a list that I supply them with. Sweet deal, right? I was able to have my mailing list of cards sent officially from the gallery to my peeps. I knew when they were mailing and was waiting to hear when my friends got them in the mail. One day, I got this weird message from my friend and boss, Janet Stanley, telling me she was confused. I had said on FB that the date was 9/27, however the postcard said the date was 9/20.
WTF?!@#$%#$%@&!!!
I called MVCA immediately. Sure enough. There had been a mistake. They had emailed me the wrong date! I started crying on the phone. Good grief. The opening was one week earlier than I thought. Instead of 2 weeks away it was only a week away!!! I was so freaked out. However, an hour later the gallery called back. They were going to fix the problem by having not one, but TWO opening shows! One on 9/20 and one on 9/27! Holy crap am I lucky or what?
I was nervous about this, wondering if there were enough people to attend 2 shows. My father and several of my friends had already committed to coming on the 27th. I didn't know what to expect. My daughter Rose, wasn't planning to attend because her birthday is on 9/27. Because of the new date, she immediately made plans for both her and my 1 1/2 year old grandson to come up for the first opening. What good news! Rose would be there to help me from imploding with nerves! However, this was starting to get crazy...Now I had to clean my house like a mad person cuz they were going to stay at my house! Talk about pressed for time. How could I accomplish all this? There were last minute artworks to tweak and finish, you know how it goes. And then the thorough house cleaning on top of it (and believe me I let my house go over this past month of frenzied framing!!)....It was going to get crazy around here!
AAAAA!!!!@##$%^$&@&!!
I hustled insanely that last week. Framing framing F r A M I n g FRAMINGGGGGGG until I thought my fingers would fall off. Actually, I did lose the fingerprint on my thumbs from twisting wires on the back of frames. My hand felt like a club as I pounded in the glaziers to keep the frame and glass all together. Then I was soaked and pruny when I had to wash every surface in the house for visitors. I was PUMPED to say the least.
The whole date/2 show thing caused a bunch of confusion for people and I kept getting questions and emails. When the 20th came around, I was ready just to get it all over with.
I didn't have any idea what to expect. I was so worried that nothing at all would sell and that I would be the first show this year at the gallery to be skunked. I was not going to have high expectations, so I wouldn't be disappointed. Mostly, I wanted to share art. So many thoughts crossed my mind prior to the opening, sleep was out of the question.
I wasn't as nervous as I would have been had I not just started teaching as an adjunct at SUNY Cobleskill. Facing 11 student strangers for the 2 weeks prior to the show helped me get over the speech thing. I knew I would be asked a bunch of questions. Finally the day had come. The gallery looked so amazing, I blush to think of it. The committee had hung the show to my specs, and I was so pleased to see that my 38 works filled all walls! It was colorful. Dignified. Professional. COLLAGE! In all it's glory. I had 2 distinct themes. The Sharon Springs DK (decay) pieces that have been waiting in the wings to be seen for 2 years and also a hand-picked assortment of my best works and some newer pieces. There were a few 3-d assemblages, too which added to the unique flavor of the show. On one wall I had a slide show playing large scale on a wall from a projector attached to a Mac...playing over 300+ photos of Sharon Springs that I had taken over the past 2 years. These photos were the food and fodder for the SSDK works. I also had my 3 videos that I had created out of 3 of the Sharon Springs works to play when I felt the time was right. Let the show begin!
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