A Wonderful Weekend!

(Above:  Steve and I at the Columbia Museum of Art's Fire and Ice Ball.  Click on any image in this blog post to enlarge.)

Recently I've fallen into the bad habit of blogging only once a week.  It is a problem.  Why? Well, by the time seven days have past, I've generally got too many images I want to share and too many things I'd like to say.  Blogging, as a result, seems to take too much time.  From now on, more blogging ... like sharing this past weekend!  It was a super time!


(Above:  Steve and I at the Fire and Ice Ball.)

The weekend started with the Fire and Ice Ball at the Columbia Museum of Art.  One of my pieces was part of the silent auction.  There was dancing, gorgeous floral arrangements, exotic food, valet parking, and lots of people ...



... including Elizabeth and Sam Crews who have been our friends since we moved to Columbia in 1987.



A photographer from The State newspaper took the photo with Sam and Elizabeth and this nice one of the two of us.  I pulled these photos from the newspaper's website.  There were hundreds of them ... all of very well dressed art lovers!


(Above:  The Girl Scout's Powerful Women Summit at the Capital City Club.)

The next morning found me on the 25th floor of Columbia's tallest building.  This is the Capital City Club and the site of the local Girl Scout's annual "Powerful Women Summit".  The panel included a chemist, a State House legislator/attorney, an F-16 pilot, a nuclear licensing engineer, a high school head coach, an image consultant, a captain from the sheriff's department, a staff person from Harvest Hope Food bank, several others ... and ME ... a professional studio artist.


(Above:  The Powerful Women Summit.)

Prior to this event, all the panelist provided an in-depth biography from which the emcee drew for introductions.  She selected information about us from our own days in middle and high school.  Unbelievably, more than half wanted to be a veterinarian ... and yet there wasn't a vet among us.  This was important and helped guide the conversations as we rotated from round table to round table.  The career options one hopes to accomplish while in high school might not be exactly what one ends up doing ... but planning, determination, an education, and strong leadership qualities will always manage to navigate a girl into a "powerful woman"!  (By the way, Dad ... the emcee mentioned the fact that when I was a high school Girl Scout, you were our troop leader!)


(Above:  Talking to some of the girls.)

Every girl in the room has her eyes set on college.  Many hope to be veterinarians.  I'm not sure any will actually do this but it was obvious success is on the horizon no matter what!  


(Above:  View of Columbia's Vista from the Capital City Club.)

For me, one of the most important, personal impressions from this event was undoubtedly the view.  This is Columbia's Vista, the arts and cultural downtown district of the city.  When walking the streets, I'm aware of the slight elevations, the enormous buildings, the busy traffic, and the feel of a lots and lots of space.  From the 25th floor, however, the area is remarkably flat.  The buildings don't look very big, the traffic is minimal, and the area really isn't that big.  Viewpoints make all the difference.  The building in which my studio is located is easy to find.  It is the former warehouse that now has a partial wall painted bright blue.


(Above:  The former Vista warehouse that is now owned by Moltan/Lamar Architects.)

My studio is a sacred space.  When I'm inside, it is "my world".  I've made almost everything within the four walls.  The walls don't actually rise to the ceiling.  I can look over mine and see the four skylights above the gallery's atrium area.  It wasn't too long ago that I hung The Canopy there.  It seemed huge!  From the Capital City Club, however, it is like a tiny bird's nest, a quiet place in the middle of a busy city ... a place to work ... my itty-bitty piece of the art world.


(Above:  Max, our cat, sleeping in his new "nest".)

Mentioning the word "nest", I seem to be creating one for Max, our cat.  The unraveling of thread for the upcoming installation is going along wonderfully.



Max, of course, thinks I'm doing this for his benefit.  I have a meeting on Wednesday to finalize the location for the installation!  I'm excited.  (To read more about this project, click HERE.)

(Above:  In Box CXL.  Unframed:  Approximately 28" x 16". Framed:  33 3/4" x 21 3/4".)

Of course, I am also going to my studio ... daily ... no matter what!  So, In Box CXL and In Box CXXXIX were finished and framed recently too!


(Above:  Detail of In Box CXL.)

I've also finished and photographed two more 24" x 18" art quilts.  I'll blog them in a day or two!  Check back often.  I promise to write more frequently!

 

(Above:  In Box CXXXIX. Unframed approximately 17" x 13".  Framed:  21 3/4" x 17 3/4".)