With Admiration

It's not that the day was bad per se, it's just the few things that did happen this afternoon were amplified by the fact that so many things have been going wrong lately. And honestly, even of those things going wrong, it has all been just stuff. Who really cares if a car is broken or if ones a/c isn't working or if someone has a leaky house? Those things aren't eternally significant. It's just more stuff to navigate.

And today it was the same thing -- not really important, but it was on the heels of all these other things and some other crap (sorry for the crappy language, dad.) Because opening night was so crowded for the Salon des Refusés exhibit a few weeks ago and because I hadn't seen the Big Show at Lawndale yet, and because both shows are closing on August 7th which I just this moment realized wasn't this weekend but next, my neighbor Fran and I planned an outing to see both exhibits this afternoon. First Lawndale -- because the Refusés exhibit was born out of the Big Show rejects and we wanted to see what "made it" first. Maybe it's obvious from the type of art I paint, maybe not, but some of the more "out there" art works aren't really my cup of tea. Fran, on the other hand, is much more receptive to the avant garde than I am. Neither of us was wholly impressed with the Big Show.

Back in the parking lot to go to Gallery 1724, the suburban wouldn't start. We've been having "issues" with the suburban off and on for a while lately. Reese has replaced the fuel filter twice and we got a new battery and we drove it to Galveston and back with no trouble, but sitting in a parking lot for 30 minutes while we saw the Big Show apparently made the suburban unhappy. While we were both trying to call someone to come rescue us the suburban started. We came straight home....

And, though slightly fazed, we hopped in Fran's car to see the Salon des Refusés exhibit at Gallery 1724. I had called ahead to make sure it was open, but when we got there the door was locked. The back door was locked, too. It was at this point that I became a performance artist. I won't go into the details except to say that I have a four inch bruise on the back of my leg in memory of the performance -- witnessed only by Fran, and she's not talking. Fran? Not talking, right?

The Salon des Refusés exhibit was absolutely wonderful! Fran and I both reacted with delight and in praise of the art. And best of all, just as we were about to leave, I saw a piece of work that I instantly recognized. It was a beautifully rendered bronze statue by the artist John Nichols of our daughter, Anna. In May of 2007, John and I were both in The Glassell School of Art 2007 Studio School Student Exhibition, Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Our respective paintings were side by side in the gallery at Glassell. John was working on this statue as far back as 2007.

As soon as we got home, I composed a note to the artist.....

Hey John,

I was just today completely amazed by your bronze statue of Anna. On opening night at the Salon des Refuses exhibit, it was so crowded that I didn't even see the statue. Had I known it was there, I wouldn't have left without seeing it. You are incredible. It's a beautiful piece of WORK, and I know how hard you worked on it. Thank you so much for sharing it with Houston in Gallery 1724. Seeing the quality of your bronze art work makes me all the more glad that my own painting is in such good company.

With admiration,
Sarah Hazel