Some days are grueling; some days are euphoric; some days are rainy; some days are unbearably hot and humid; each day comes with its own joys and its own challenges.
This is a juried show of approximately 108 SC artists spread out on 2 sides of the perimeter of Marion Square - Meeting and Calhoun Streets, Charleston, SC. Each year a certain number of new artists are juried in, so there are always new artists to meet and new friends to make.
Today was the opening and the jurying. To be eligible to be juried today, all hanging work must be originals. Starting tomorrow, all work hanging must be at least 75% original.
Lots of work to do getting ready. I work 30 hours a week at a downtown law firm, but have started my vacation time the day before the opening to get as much done as possible. I'm pretty tired by the first day of the show, as are the others. The art show coordinators mark the spaces on Wednesday, and after 3pm, the artists can begin putting up their tents. At 6:00 p.m., trying to beat the heat, I met Christy Crosby - artist, fellow gallery member and friend - at the park so we could help each other put up our tents. She's a lot more help to me than I am to her... we both have the same tents but she participates in more outdoor shows than I do and is far more used to putting her tent up than I am. I tend to forget how to do it over the year, and no matter how many times I watch the instruction video with the 5' female in cowboy boots and a skirt assemble the same style tent as mine in 5 MINUTES (sure...), when I take all the pieces out of its carry bag, the instructional information just runs away. 3 hours later, I've finished setting up the tent and staking it down. Then home to pack the car with my new upgraded presentation panels, print bin and desk. There's not much time to sleep until it's all up and ready for opening day, but the adrenaline kicks in and I'm back at the park at 10 a.m. Thursday to set up the panels. It takes longer than expected - they're easy but new and I feel like I'm setting up a house for the next 2 weeks (which is close to truth). Another trip home to get the first load of artwork - now it's like "decorating the house." I hang this art, then make a trip to Courtyard Art Gallery to pack the art from there that I'm taking for the show. Then back to the park to hang that art. Then home to get the 2nd load of artwork and pick up my friend, Beth Keener from Cumming, GA, who's driven to Charleston to visit and help me with the show until she returns home Tuesday. Then back to the gallery to re-hang the empty space I've just created. Then back to the park to hang the remaining art, clean up, close the tent and tie down. It's about 9:30 p.m. by the time we get home. And I've still got to frame some artwork to take with me for the opening. Use your imagination and envision what my house looks like by now...I go to sleep at 3:30 a.m.
Opening day - Beth is better than an alarm clock - knocking on my door at 5:30 a.m. It's time to get moving! First stop - Courtyard Art Gallery which needed 2 more originals to fill my space. Second stop - the temporary loading zone near Calhoun and Meeting. then getting the sides of the tent up and ready to open for business. Thanks to Beth, for the first time in at least 5 years, I'm at the Art Show an hour before it opens and early enough to get a free parking spot across the street. By no means am I one of the first this morning -
Carol Carberry beat me - here she is with one of watercolor flowers.
In the midst of rushing around to at least "appear" nonchalant and effortlessly "put together" for the crowd of customers coming at 10:00, here come good friends from North Carolina, Cas and Theresa Caserta, who know that I'm definitely not nonchalant and if "put together," it was certainly not "effortlessly." The Piccolo show has brought many interesting people into my life through the years, and Cas and Theresa are a great example of those few and far between "chance" encounters over art that develop into a really special relationship. The "Asparagus" watercolor they're standing by was my demonstration from last year's show. The Casertas and friends of theirs were present for my demonstration, so it was fun for them to see the framed and finished product.
Today we're still getting organized, last minute arranging, starting a list of what we forgot, and awards. Jonathan Green is the Judge, and everyone in my immediae "pod" gets excited because my "next door neighbor" from Orangeburg, Floyd Gordon has won an award but we don't find out until 4:30 when the Mayor arrives to present the awards. Floyd has won a top award, 2nd Place!
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