Reception for Once & Again: Alterations in Springfield

(Above:  Just before the opening reception for Once & Again: Alterations at the Springfield Arts Association in Springfield, Illinois.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Last Friday was magical ... not just because there was a wonderful opening reception for my solo show ... and not because Steve flew into Springfield to attend and drive me back to South Carolina ... but because I went to a fabulous non-profit store called Creative Reuse Marketplace and found all sorts of things for both future Found Object Mandalas and for Cascade/Lace Forest, the current installation on which I am working!  Better yet, the nice college professor working at Creative Reuse Marketplace came to the reception and promised to look in the shop's off site storage facility for even more lace!

(Above:  Me ... during the brief "artist talk" at the opening reception.)

Apparently, the remains of a former fabric/notions store got donated to the business.  From the looks of what I've already acquired, this happened more than a decade ago.  All this never-before-used but still-very-old lace has been looking for its "second life" for quite a while.  I'm so happy to provide it!  Plus, the possibility of finding even more makes my return a happy occasion!  It is otherwise a little sad when a solo show must be taken down.  Now ... there's the hope for "more lace"!

(Above:  Springfield Arts Association executive director Betsy Dollar introducing me!)

One more thing made the reception so grand.  Kathy Johnson, a member of the SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) Development board came!  She lives in Springfield and I met her during my art residency.  It was wonderful to catch up!