Wednesday, June 20, 2018

As Spring Flies Into Summer


The White Crane: Flying Into Dreams, Bonnie Joy Bardos, 48" x 60", oil

Once we recognize that all things are impermanent, we have no problem enjoying them. In fact, real peace and joy are only possible when we see clearly into the nature of impermanence. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Spring turns into summer, weeks of rain fade into hot sunny days. Here at the old Art House, River and I spend mornings out on the front porch: I drink a morning mug of coffee, and he basks in sunshine. We stroll through the daylilies, lush roses, pink honeysuckle, catmint, bright phlox, yellow suns of coreopsis. Hydrangeas in white, blue, lavender spill throughout the gardens. Knee Deep, the resident fish pond King, sits on his mossy rock. Birds flit, in the afternoon sun, crows wing low over the road, cawing.

This month, a new exhibit opens at the Upstairs Artspace, and the above painting will be part of it, along with alot of contemporary art. I'm in "Four Women/Four Journeys" which features Carol Beth Icard, Patricia Cole Ferullo, and Linda Hudgins. We've been friends and fellow artists for years. Downstairs, nationally famed Stoney Lamar appears with the likes of Dale McEntire, Dale Weiler, David Zacharias, Mark Gardner, Shane Varnadore and more in a sculpture show. Holland Van Gores shows his fine wood-turnings also--the exhibits will run through August 3. The Upstairs goes back 40 years: back to the days when Craig Pleasants opened the upstairs bedrooms in his house as a place for artists to show work. Not just any work, either. Craig had a vision. Out of those artists, a lot went on to become famous. The gallery moved, and the first time I found it, it was beside City Hall in Tryon, NC...and that was the beginning. Poetry coffeehouses, gatherings, and interesting art (along with people). A non-profit, the gallery has been in its current location beside the Tryon Theater since the early 2000's...in fact, I worked there for a good five years, up until 2011 or so, and remember "String of Pearls", the 30th anniversary gala we put on. Craig and Sheila Pleasants came. The mission of the gallery has always been Craig's: that the Upstairs would support artists, and show their work: work that would not necessarily be commercially sales-driven stuff. I hope that stays the same. Run by a Board of Directors, the Upstairs will hopefully go on another 40 years!



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