Anonymous Ancestors at Eastern Shore Art Center

 (Above:  Anonymous Ancestors, my solo show at the Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope, Alabama.)

The New Year has certainly started out well!  My husband Steve and I loaded the cargo van, drove to Alabama, and installed my solo show, Anonymous Ancestors, at the Eastern Shore Art Center.  This is the first time I've mounted this exhibition without having physically been in the space prior to "the big day".  Amazingly, I wasn't nervous a bit!  Communication with the excellent staff was perfect.  I had a floor plan. Most importantly, I knew I had more than enough work to fill the space!

Eastern Shore Arts Center was open from 10 - 4.  The last time we installed, it took six hours.  Steve kept an eye on the clock while we worked.  We work wonderfully together and finished with a half hour to spare!

This is how the space looked after we hauled in all the boxes, furniture, carpets, and hand tools.

The last thing we did was to snap photos and count the number of works we hung.  This time, only 160 pieces went on the wall.  Approximate 70 came back home!  Yes!  I now have about 230 individually framed "anonymous ancestors".  Each time I mount this show, the room dictates how many will be used.  The ceiling is lower here than in previous shows.  Thus, the vignettes of images did not extend as far up the wall ... and therefore fewer pictures were used.
   

 Another difference between this installation and earlier shows is the fact that I had one, large space instead of two smaller areas in which to work. There's a fabulous openness to the layout and it looks much more like the nostalgic, Victorian interior that my initial idea envisioned.

The wooden floor also enhances the feel of the show.  Plus, one wall opens to the permanent collection. That area is used as a board room and includes a massive, center table.  If I lived closer, I would have asked to spread a table cloth and set out china and crystal for times when not in use for meetings.  It truly looked like a dining room just off my "parlor".

Here's Steve and Adrienne Clow, my contact and the center's marketing and exhibits manager. I can hardly wait to return for the workshop I'm teaching at the end of the month.  Scroll down for a few more shots of the show!

I am linking this post to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays", a site for sharing fiber arts.