Are you ready for this?

Are we ever?

I’m leading what has become a rather large undertaking that continues to grow and grow. The mass behind our art show has grown and supposedly I am at the head. Or am I? It’s a humbling experience. If I should trip and fall what then? Life would of course continue on and on. Someone would pick up the pieces or not. The event would happen and be well done or a flop. And life would carry on. I mean really what else could happen. Life does not end simply for one small person or even one event.

Where did it begin?

Planning art shows or art fairs begins in January or February. That’s just how it is. Signing up and paying fees. If you see a show in the spring or summer it all begins months before.

I’ve been extremely busy this year. I put in the fees and appropriate paper work on time at the end of January. Then life carried me on to mid March when I called our church, where our show is held yearly, to reserve the space that we needed. You can imagine my shock as I heard “by the way the dining room has been reserved by another group.” Shock. And quite a bit of silence. What really do you say to that. This party had specifically asked for that space. Fair and square they got there first and just because it’s our church doesn’t give us the right to strong arm them out of that reservation. They have plans and dreams. Invitations. Just like we do or will once we get all this mess squared away you think.

My mind doesn’t stop with puzzles like this it goes into overdrive. That’s simply how I’m wired. Within 5 min I had an alternative plan and had reserved the only secondary space in the church that had enough wall space and could display about 6-7 artists. The only thing was that because it wasn’t the main area of the church we needed to go harder and dig a lot deeper this year to make hanging a show worth the work.

How in the world can I balance all this?

Nothing has changed in my life except it just got a little busier. I have a donation pickup on Saturday morning the day of our art show. I have an infant son who will be tired and a mess by nap time at the same time the art show should be opening. And my husband, my other half, has to work that day. I will be on my own with 4 of our 5 children. Life is definitely interesting.

Just give the donation to someone else you might say. No. This is one pick-up we’ve done as a family spring and fall for 5 years. This is a part of who our family is. It’s important to my kids just as much as to myself to be there at this one.

So what now?

What followed next was a stream of e-mails. Annoying to some but necessary. Was this possible? How much support is out there to make this event happen? Is there money? Can we get some live music? The responses came back: silence to the money question till the church meeting but yes there was interest and the support was there.

As we’ve gone through days of planning, yes, I have wanted to say never mind, especially early on. I’m just too busy. If one person backed out I may have done just that. I’ve been on the edge this year its just so busy. But everyone has been very supportive. We gathered in our regular artists along with new faces and then the question came up of guest artists and an artist selling jewelry. We are now at maybe 11 artist. I researched liability forms. I set up guidelines – no sexual or violent images. I pushed and stressed the importance of postcards and inviting friends and family. Why go to all this work if no one knows we’re even doing it?

Musicians were few but our church talent graciously stepped in and filled the gaps. That’s where we were and then, one Sunday, in talking with someone during our church gathering I mentioned that we’ll have greeters. “Yes, we need greeters.” And this wonderful lady wondered off and started asking. I had people lined up to take care of this but she had a vision and she’s leading the march. She is now at 3-4 greeters throughout the whole show and she and her husband are leading a group to walk the neighborhood around the church and invite the neighborhood.

How did we get here? One step at a time. Will we open and have a good show? I think we will. Yesterday, 6 of my artists came and hung their work for 6 hours. One more is coming on Wed. I had a new artist sign up today to hang on Thursday. He’s been sober now for a long time and is trying to get his art out there. Our church would like to support his efforts as an artist and of sobriety by showing his work.

On Friday, I’ll also be hanging for an elderly artist. We also want all ages to be able to show with us. He just doesn’t have the physical strength for long hours of hanging.

Life is busy. But we’re nearly there. And it’s shaping up to be a very amazing day of art at our church.