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!

Old Town Art Fair & Compassion

This entry is from my friend Lynn Fisher who does wonderful porcelain and stoneware work. I'm copying this to my blog (with her permission) because I think it's important that we bring to light how some shows deal with a tragedy in an artist's life. Luckily, it's not all shows...

"I'd closed my home and studio up in mid-January and was gone for the next five-and-a-half months, working and doing fairs in Florida, and didn't get home until last Saturday. My brother was going to open the place up, turn on the water, etc., and discovered a fire just starting in the studio when he walked in the door. He turned off the gas, which stopped the fire, called 911, and then called me while I was still a couple hours from home. Apparently a tiny leak had formed in the furnace gas line which was near an outlet; the gas shot right into the outlet, feeding it a tiny but steady stream of gas that wasn't enough to blow the place up but was still enough to create lots of creosote. Some wood nearby had actually started to burn when he opened the door.

It might have started days ago, possibly even two weeks ago when there was an electrical storm here and two huge poplars were completely split open after being struck by lightening. That may have caused a short or spark in that particular outlet that may have hit the flexible metal gas line nearby. It all sounds stupid, especially since the furnace man had installed the gas line so close to the outlet. They were both hidden behind the furnace; if I'd known about it I would have had it changed immediately.

The photos don't do the damage justice, since most of the soot or creosote rose in the heat, covering the ceiling and 2/3s of the upper walls. Surprisingly, it didn't stick to certain surfaces -bisqued molds, for example, or some of the fabrics. The windows are still black in these photos, although moths and flies have left some delicate patterns of light where they brushed against the glass. I've since wiped some of the windows to let in more light but I'm not sure which is worse, the dark studio or or the light one that shows just how awful the place is. It's like a little den of horrors, a nightmare.

Once the studio is cleared out it will be gutted and rebuilt, but it will be several weeks before I can move back in. I won't get my hopes up for anytime earlier than mid-July.

Arg. What a thing to come home to! At least it isn't the total loss that it is for all those people who've been wiped out in floods or tornadoes. I feel really fortunate that it isn't worse!

So here it is, Bonnie, ready for you to share however you like. I think it might be nice to show what Old Town and its cavalier attitude is like to those of us artists who are suddenly faced with a situation completely out of their control. They are truly compassionate, sticking by their rules, and then making it even worse by telling me I don't need to apply again next year."

This is the shows response:

Hi Lynn: Thanks for the email and photos. We're going to have to be tough here, despite your obvious trouble, as it is less than two weeks until the show and we'll have to scramble to find a replacement for you. Further, it is our clearly-stated policy that late cancellations do not receive a refund and the artist may not apply to the next year's show. We must stick to the policy here. I'm sorry for all you're going through. We'll miss having you and wish you all the best.

Joan Goldstein

Exhibitors Committee Co-Chair

Facebook and me

I came to using Facebook kicking and screaming that I didn't want to know what everyone had for breakfast. That's what I thought it was. Boy was I wrong!

What a great way to share life's moments. You can give support, get support, celebrate when the great things happen and commiserate when things aren't so wonderful. You can spend a lot of time on it or just check in once in a while, it's up to you. But you stay connected.

This can be a very solitary lifestyle if you're not at a show. Just me alone in my studio. Now I love my workspace but I really need to be connected to the outside world as well. Facebook does that for me. I can see what my friends have been up to at any time of the day or night without disturbing anyone. A little piece of the outside world. It's wonderful!

My friend Vic turned off her Facebook during her busy season. I can understand that her focus needs to be on her work and not on Facebook but I miss her already. How will I know that she just had the best show of her entire career? Or that they're winning awards at every show? Or whatever little news she might have???

Facebook can take as little or as much time as you want to give it. I've found it works for me... Back to the studio!

Saturday

So this is what real people do on a Saturday! Got up early and hit the Farmer's Market this morning and came home with lots of fun things including tomato plants. Which means that later today I'll be doing some planting.

When you spend most of your weekends doing art fairs, you forget what weekends are like for other people. And you forget how much fun they are! Today would be the perfect day to hit the Farmer's Market then go to an art fair! First seeing all the great growing things and then see some great art. Stop for a great cup of coffee and it adds up to a perfect day.

I canceled my participation in a show this weekend. Someone who must have been slightly off her rocker scheduled shows for 6 weekends in a row from St. Louis to Bethesda Maryland. Not quite sure how I actually thought I could do all those shows so something had to give. Since Bethesda was the furthest, it lost and I canceled it. So I have this glorious, rainy Saturday off! And I'm enjoying it. Doing things I want to do which includes time in the studio since I just want to make rings and more rings. Ah, Saturday. What a wonderful day of the week!

Every three months...

I'm sitting in my oncologist's waiting room feeling lucky. I'm fine, it's just my every 3 month check-up but it's a busy place. All ages of adults in various stages of health are waiting, some to see their doc, some for their chemo appointment. The patients tend to be the ones in the ill fitting pants. This is not a disease where you gain weight! Until after it's over and then if you're a happy eater, it will show on you.

First thing you do for these appointments is the lab work. I have to remember to push the fluids the day before to make their job a little easier. Not sure what all they're checking for but not hearing any details is always the good news here. Then it's the wait for my doc, usually a long one since he has a lot of very sick and dying patients that come first.

I complained once about how the drugs make me feel and he pointed out the realities of life to me. I'm one of the lucky ones and I need to remember that when I have no energy or my face breaks out in blotches from the sun. Very small price to pay for continued good health.

So today my blood pressure is a little higher than normal. Gee, I wonder why? Could it be that here the word of the day is CANCER??? That's okay because once every three months I'm reminded but the rest of the time I'm just a regular person with regular concerns and frustrations. I'm not a cancer patient, just a person who hit a bump in the road and is moving on.

I'm afraid of tornados

Seeing all the destruction caused by the tornado's down south the last couple of days has brought tornados to the front of my mind. I'm afraid of them. I've seen the destruction up close and personal and they scare me.

We were camping when the tornado hit East Grand Rapids but raced home because my Grandparents house was in the area that was hit. When we drove up, it looked like the house was gone but it turned out to be the neighbors roof was just leaning against the house, covering it. Devastation all around, wherever we looked. It made a big impression on a 16 year old.

Go forward to 2001, coming home from Art & Apples. It had been raining and I had called a friend to make sure they got taken down before the storm hit. All of a sudden the wind picked up and things started flying through the air, including an orange construction barrel and then I couldn't see ahead. Other than the brake lights of the car in front of me. Thankfully they were there, they pulled over and we were under an overpass. I put the van in park, turned it off and hunkered down the best I could. Seemed like forever but of course it all happened very quickly. I was pelleted with things and glass was breaking all around me but my little minivan kept me safe. Once it was over I sat up and looked in the rear view mirror but couldn't see anything. Took a moment to realize that it was smashed. As well as the outside mirrors plus most of the windows were gone. The dashboard was covered with leaves, sticks and stones and my hair was filled with debris but I was fine. My little purple minivan gave her life to save mine...she was totaled.

It turned out that it was an F1 tornado, the smallest kind. Unbelievable force for what they call a small tornado. It's something I'll never forget and never want to relive. I have huge respect for the force of Mother Nature and if there's a tornado warning...you can find me in the basement! And just as a final shot - those people who say their booths stayed up through a tornado, they're lying!

On the road again!

My 2011 art fairs are starting and it's so exciting! This has been the longest break from shows that I've had for years and it was needed. I'm making all kinds of new work and I'm so excited to finally be showing it to people!

I'm making rings!!! For years I was known for my rings which lead to extreme ring burn-out. The rings I'm doing today are primarily sterling, some with 22k gold since I do so love that metal. Some even have stones or pearls. They're all constructed out of sheet metal instead of casting like I used to do. They both have their advantages but I really like doing fabrication. Pictures are coming soon!

My next art fair is the Canton National Art Fair, held at the Canton (OH) Museum of Art, April 29 - May 1. It's a small show of only 80 hand picked artists and I can't wait!