GALA

Quick Paint Competition

Painting Day One!

Trolley Tour & Picnic in the Park

Thursday morning started offf just beautifully, and I think the artists were pleased with the weather. Painting during mid-day isnt' the most ideal, but they certainly catered to the public. The trolley was great fun. I took the first tour that morning, getting off at each stop just long enough to say helo to all our volunteers. edgewood Orchard Gallery was hopping all day with visitors by Trolley and by car. Artists were congregated throughout the grounds, catching the plaza, the woods and the great little cottages. Clark Park in downtown Fish Creek was also a busy place for painters, with many out on the docks and near the water. Peninsula State Park's first stop, Weborg Point, had great views all along the road. I found so many artists painting along the edge of the marsh there. Susan Diehl's award wining painting was painted there that day too! It took so many volunteers to pull together all the pieces of this day, but the artists' cooperation really made the day perfect. Thank you!

Evening with the Artists at Maarhaven

What a party! Someone said the art collection rivaled that of the Walker Art Museum in Minnesota- and I fully agree. Virginia & Tom Maher's colelction hits every major contemporary artist- but it goes well beyond. The pieces speak together as a collection, which is something that happens rarely in private collections.
We're still tracking tickets, but I think well over 200 tickets were sold, and with artists and spouses we must have had about 250 people in attendance.
Walking the grounds, I got a chance to see their sculpture colelction as well. It is stunning in the wooded landscape. Their cottage across the street was picture perfect that night. The fog rolled in fro mthe lake and blurred the horizon beyond recognition. Rick Dziak and his wife Mary were staying there this week, and Rick had several paintings drying on the back porch of the cottage. I was so impressed by his work, and that preview of his work stole my heart.

The Mahers own some Andy Warhol work.

Artist welcome dinner

Pulling the dinner together was a little chaotic. All our volunteers were on their toes- everyone wanted to impress. Diane Miller and Elva Damon brought it together perfecty. They put on a fantastic spread- barbeque burgers and brats, plenty of fresh green salads, beer and wine. And the Art School looked great. All the gardens are in full bloom, and with the blue checked tablecoths and napkins, I think the artists were both impressed- and welcomed.

Meeting the artists

This morning on the drive to work- which was an early 5am for me- the fog was covering all the fields, and I could only imagine how fantastic this week might turn out. I was expecting early painters to arrive for canvases to get stamped, but who would have guessed how many passed through by 7am! It was great to meet everyone for the first time, and I imagine the artists were just as curious about me, as I was about them. I was so impresed by how ambitious everyone was, bringing fifteen to twenty canvases apiece to be stamped.



And I half expected a crazy frenzy, but everything ran so smoothly. Kudos to our volunteers who made it in early that morning too.



As the day went on, everyone but a few came through, and I had the opportunity to have a short converstion with almost all. A few slipped by- in a hurry to get out and paint- but i had a chance to meet up with everyone later that night.