Friday, June 17, 2011

Reeds Lake Art Fair

It's like going back to 1976 and my first art fair. Tomorrow is the Reeds Lake Art Festival. Back then it was the Reeds Lake Clothesline Art Fair and you had to haul everything down the steps into John Collins Park on Reeds Lake. This was back long before canopies and fancy displays. This was a table with a jewelry display case sitting on it. That was the good news since at the end you had to haul everything back UP the stairs.

I ran the show for a couple of years back in the early 80's. I was handed a piece of paper with who to call for the donuts and coffee and told to put on a show. Needless to say, I learned a lot that first year! Dick wrote a program for me and I got everything computerized which was very new back then. I learned about working with a city bureaucracy and the importance of being patient. Plus a couple of artists screamed at me when they didn't get in, not knowing that they would be facing me at the next show we did together (that was kind of fun).

All in all, very good memories.

Now the show is held in the streets above the park which is so much better. I went back last year after many years of not doing it and had a great time. So easy to do and I saw tons of people I hadn't seen in years, since it's my hometown. Plus it's just a warm fuzzy since it was my very first art fair 35 years ago. Please let it be sunny!

1 comment:

Valerie A. Heck Esmont said...

I learned a lot helping run a show, and some things I learned, were how I don't want to act when under stress. I'm sure you understand. Good lessons.