(Above: Steve and me with the Brutus the Buckeye bronze in the Ohio Union on The Ohio State University campus. Click on any image in post to enlarge.)
Last week Steve and I went to the monthly "First Thursday" in our hometown, Columbia, South Carolina. We had dinner at a new restaurant on Main Street, watched art lovers walking by, and checked messages on our phones ... including a Facebook post by Teresa Rill, a friend in Columbus, Ohio. Teresa's husband Ron was the best man at our wedding ... thirty-three years ago this September. Her post announced that Ron's job as a Giant Eagle produce manager was shifting from one store to another ... to be big, super modern, place opening the next day. Within minutes, we corresponded with Teresa. Ron would be on the floor all weekend. Teresa would keep our visit a surprise. Off we drove to Columbus for a whirlwind weekend.
(Above: The inside of the new Ohio Union.)
I hadn't been in Columbus in sixteen years. Steve came once since then ... about ten years ago. Lots has changed on The Ohio State University campus ... including a new Ohio Union ...
... that includes plenty of alumni artwork! This was my favorite, Station 88 - Ohio License Plate Sculpture by Jeff Hersey and Bob Swanson. We had a wonderful time reminiscing about our college days ...
(Above: Steve in front of Ohio Stadium)
... about meeting at the OSU vs. Oklahoma football game in 1977 ... while sitting in the 1500+ student cheering section called Block O. We looked at people already tailgating for the game later that night. We saw the ticket scalpers buying extras already over face value ... and decided we were NOT going to the game! (This ended up being a good call. Our beloved Buckeyes lost their first home season opener since I led Block O in 1978! It also ended past midnight!)
We totally surprised Ron! It was great ... and so is the new Giant Eagle! We had lunch in the pub
... watching other football games on the wide screen HD television! Who needs a sports bar when your grocery store provides all this and ...
... live entertainment during the grand opening weekend! There were also people making balloon animals for the kids and a lady doing face paintings. It was so much fun! We also went to "First Saturday" in Columbus' Short North arts district. This area of town was a total ghetto when we lived in Columbus. Now it is a chic, fashionable section with pricy condos being built between Victorian buildings and plenty of upscale restaurants.
On the trip home we stopped in Lancaster, Ohio to tour the William Tecumseh Sherman House. It was very interesting to listen to the guide describe the building, the times, and Sherman as "the hero" since I'm currently working on artwork for an invitational exhibition commemorating his burning of Columbia! This place was terrific. We really enjoyed it.
(Above: Time Signatures and a pile of wrapped, wooden spools in one of two showcases at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Photo by Margaret Neville.)
So ... this entire trip evolved due to a Facebook message! I love the Internet! On the way home, I checked my messages and saw a piece of my work at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. A friend, Margaret Neville posted it on her way to a ceramic conference in Phoenix. I'd totally forgotten to blog about this opportunity!
(Above: The two showcases at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.)
I installed work in the two showcases on Friday, August 29th. The installation went very well ... but my photos were terrible! Margaret's must have been taken in the evening!
(Above: The Nature of Memory and another pile of wrapped, wooden spools with signage.)
Why were they terrible? Well, in the afternoon the sun hits the glass doors. The reflection (from any angle) is dreadful!
Although, the reflection in the photo above does include travelers pulling their luggage!
And, the reflections do produce a few interesting lines! LOL! I am grateful that Margaret took a far better photo and reminded me about to post about this work.
(Above: Package from Margaret Blank in Alberta, Canada.)
I am also grateful for other Internet friends ... like Margaret Blank ... who sent this incredible gift of delicately embellished fabric snippets ... all the way from Alberta, Canada! Thank you Margaret!
I am grateful for local friends who read my blog ... like art quilter Sandra Baker who came by at the perfect time to sit in one of the two completed chairs made for my Stitching Together sculptural art quilt.
(Above: Chair made from an old quilting frame from Kathleen Loomis.)
I finally decided that I didn't want anything in the "back" area of the two chairs. The focus of this piece has got to be the "table", not the chairs. Still, a seat was needed and grave rubbings from the same two cemeteries would be best. Yesterday, I took another vintage, damask tablecloth to Elmwood and Randolph Cemeteries and then completed the upholstery.
(Above: Seat cushion for Stitching Together. 19" x 19".)
The brown crayon grave rubbing was made in the Confederate Soldiers section of Elmwood Cemetery. The black dove and archway came from two markers in the historic Randolph African-American cemetery next to Elmwood. Both seats cushions were made using the same stones. The padding was a donation from another friend, Mary Langston, who gave me an great, thick mattress pad cover. I'll be taking photos of the entire, large sculptural piece this weekend. Why wait? Well, this weekend the atrium at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios will be empty ... waiting for my other installation, Threads: Gathering My Thoughts. Before suspending the eighty+ baskets, I'll set up Stitching Together and snap the photos.
Finally, yesterday evening was the opening of a solo show for James C. McMillan at Gallery West. My Strata Series pieces were also making their debut ... hung perfectly together in one, upper level room. I promised photos of the three in floater frames because I forgot to snap pictures of them in this presentation. These works are available framed or unframed.
I went early enough to take a few pictures. It got crowded later. It's a nice show and will be hanging through October 19th. Thank you, Sara Cogswell for including my work in your lovely gallery!
2 comments:
Lots of interesting photos. Chairs...wow!
Deb
I didn't know it had been so Long since you were in Columbus! I'm so glad you went and what a great surprise for Ron! The Picture of him and Steve together really Shows how happy the reunion was! I love the chairs. They are really works of art. The Strata series is wonderful. I think I could just stare at each and every Piece for an hour. There is so much going on. Yes, the reflections in the Windows aren't necessarily awesome for the art inside itself but they do really make interesting lines. I have the reflection of the stuffed frog that Mom has in the HHR Dashboard in more than enough photos from our trip this year. Sometimes it's funny. Most of the time, it isn't!!
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