Wednesday, May 25, 2022

One Week Later.....Still Processing....and Fangirling

Alison de Lima Greene, me, and Three Girls 

Meeting Alison de Lima Green, the Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the juror of the VAA Open Exhibition, titled "Other Stories About Who We Are" was a transformative event for me. Not only did she select my work for the exhibit, we had a delightful, albeit brief conversation at the opening reception. It was a brief conversation because, even though the art was the star of the show, everyone there knew that the real star was Alison de Lima Greene, and everyone wanted to talk to her. She made it a point to meet all of the artists in attendance, for which I was grateful. Admittedly, I'm fangirling here -- the opportunity of having her see my work was the only reason I entered the show. That she selected it -- priceless! AND, her juror remarks were so eloquent and well said -- if only someone had recorded it! (Maybe they did -- anyone?) 

In her juror statement in the printed exhibition pamphlet, she says that the works in the exhibition were "chosen for their visual wit, their emotional engagement, and that almost ineffable quality of being able to capture and trigger one's imagination." (!!!!!)

As the night was coming to a close, and she was getting ready to leave, I realized that I didn't have a photo with her, and she graciously acquiesced to the above photo, even "curating" the photo by directing the photographer (daughter Anna) on where to position the camera angle to get the best shot. She's a genius. 

Sigh. Maybe someday we'll be friends. (Alison -- want to grab a coffee sometime?)

Another moment of fangirling -- on an Instagram post where I had posted a photo of the painting and was (excitedly) making an announcement that it was selected by Alison de Lima Greene, artist Marta Chilindron "liked" it. For y'all who don't know, Marta Chilindron is a big deal. She is a sculptor with works in museums across the country and world, including a piece in the new Kinder building at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. And she "liked" my post! Eeeeee!

Sigh. Maybe someday we'll be friends. (Marta -- want to grab a coffee the next time you're in Houston? I'd love to meet you.)

With Natalie at the #Obamaportraitstour

Lastly, over the weekend, my museum buddy friend Natalie and I went to see "The Obama Portraits Tour" at the MFAH. The two portraits are absolutely riveting -- an extremely well written Paper City article by Leslie Loddeke, in which she explains the symbolism and significance of the portraits, commissioned by Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery is here. It's well worth the read.

Afterwards, Natalie and I really did grab a coffee (and tea) and have a chat, because we ARE friends. Sigh. Good times. 

Tuesday, May 03, 2022

The Three Graces

It is my pleasure to announce that Three Girls, or The Three Graces was selected by Juror Alison de Lima Greene, the Isabel Brown Wilson Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for inclusion in Visual Arts Alliance 38th Juried Open Exhibition. Word on the street is that she only selected 10% of the work submitted for the show, only 50 pieces (!), so, understandably, I was overcome with emotion when receiving the news, and admittedly, choked back a few tears upon hearing it. 

Three Girls, aka The Three Graces, oil on linen, 24" x 36"

It takes a long time for oil paints to really dry, and watching this one settle into what it is becoming has been a delight. It's truly wonderful to see it in person, and to that end, I encourage all of you in the Houston area to see it in person at Sabine Street Studios from May 9th - June 11th. 

Mark your calendars -- the opening reception for the show will be May 18th from 6-9pm. (Juror remarks are usually around 7.) The Amazing Reese and I will be at the opening reception and would be delighted to see you all -- Sabine Street Studios -- 1907 Sabine Street, Houston, Texas, 77007.