Last night was the kick-off event for the (Nova Scotia) Studio Rally map for 2004. The Royal Bank, which has been a strong sponsor of the Studio Rally, invited their top 100 investors to a reception before taking them to a production of Cats at the Neptune Theatre in Halifax. And so our fearless Studio Rally coordinator, Adrianne Abbott invited a few artists, myself included, to display some work at the reception and (hopefully) talk to the guests. (Most of the guests seemed to know each other and were talking mainly to their friends and colleagues.)
Of course the main question I received was framed in the context of “I don’t know anything about abstract art. What does it mean?” So I gave the short form answer: just relax and experience it, don’t think about what it is “supposed” to mean. One young man said his wife thinks he is too one dimensional (thinks about numbers literally) and therefore doesn’t understand anything with depth. (Uh, oh. Sounds like marital trouble there.)
At the end, Adrianne came over and told us a man had said he “just loves artists, they are so fanciful.” He had asked a painter how much a certain piece would sell for (he wanted to buy it on the spot) and she replied she didn’t know, she would have to go home and think about it.
In case you are in the area, the Studio Rally Weekend is May 29 and 30, from 10 am to 5 pm. The (more than 90) artists and artisans on the map will be in their studios and you are welcome to come visit. Please do come visit! (And it’s a great opportunity for me to clean up my studio!)