An Art Filled Weekend

This past weekend was a busy one, artistically. Personally, my installation using doors, old keys, and wrapped, rusty nails moved onto a real construction phase...which will be in my next post! Socially, there was a great art opening in the gallery just outside my studio door. Called Winter Exhibition, it is the eighth annual show for four of my friends: Mike Williams, Ed Wimberly, David Yaghjian, and my mentor Stephen Chesley. I took the photo above while standing on my worktable...looking over my studio wall into the reception. More about this show can be found here or here or here.


(Above: The Night on the Nile Gala...view from the second floor to the lobby. The setting was incredible. One of the chairmen told me that crews of volunteers spent a week decorating. There was even a camel outside the front door, belly dancers, a DJ, a live band, and some of the most ingenious floral designs I've ever seen.)

On Saturday night I attended the Night on the Nile, black tie gala at the Columbia Museum of Art. This event celebrated the tenth anniversary of the museum's new location on Main Street and the opening of Excavating Egypt. Thirty artists, including me, were asked to paint, alter, or decorate a provided tote bag. I blogged about mine here. I was a bit nervous as the minimum bid was set at $300. Gala tickets were already $150 a piece, so attendees had already made a significant contribution to the museum without feeling the need to show support by purchasing artwork. (Artists were given complimentary tickets...thank goodness!) Sadly, many of the tote bags were not purchased....and the artists have no idea what the museum's plans are for these unsold pieces. Happily, mine had at least three bids before the silent auction ended. Sold!

(Above, some of the tote bags...but I forgot to snap a photo of mine!)

I even got my tarot cards read...a new experience for me. Lady Noor said I was a very serious person!