Our bulletin board in the mailroom at Hanover Towers always has notices to keep us up to date. Sometimes it thanks somebody who has donated fresh flowers, always it invites residents to join us regulars at the Thursday cocktail party, and sometimes there’s nothing new on it. I always read it though, because I always read any printed matter in front of me.
Lately there was an invitation to enter one’s hand-done arts and crafts in a brief show in the game room. I answer all invitations, so I offered to put some old oils in the show. Since I haven’t painted anything since 1960, that was real chutzpah, especially since there are some genuine artists in the building, and I don’t fall in that category. In fact some of my daubs wound up in my attic, and my portrait of my husband turned out to look like Jimmy Hoffa.
Then there appeared a list of the works to be displayed and an invitation to the residents to attend the art show one Friday afternoon. We anticipated minimal attendance and expected only personal friends in the building to grace us with their presence.
We are blessed by having several really talented and really creative residents. Submissions included many varied works – paintings, handmade dolls, quilts, jewelry, cards, miniatures, watercolors and portraits.
I had no idea what would be submitted, so I took my two paintings from 1960. When I saw the variety of articles, I added a needlepoint throw rug I had done sometime later than the painting but I don’t remember when.
The display was indeed impressive – there were no daubs at all. In fact, I thought some of the landscapes, still lifes and one portrait would have won blue ribbons in real shows.
The attendance surprised us. Many residents came – some who have not attended any other attempts at establishing friendliness. The person who spearheaded the show is not herself an artist and had nothing in the show. We didn’t feed or water the attendees – no wine, no cheese – as is customary at similar shows. And nothing was for sale.
Compliments flowed better than water. I think they were sincere expressions of thanks for the show, and I think people really enjoyed learning of our neighbors’ talents. They came and stayed a long time, doing the circuit of works many times.
We almost didn’t get permission to have it. The board said that several people thought we shouldn’t be allowed to do it. What several we don’t know, and why we don’t know. But they were wrong, anyway.
Nine artists (including me) enjoyed exhibiting our work and 60 of our neighbors enjoyed seeing it. What could be wrong with that? My son, who was not an attender – I didn’t invite outsiders, even my kinfolks – said that there are people who just enjoy saying no to everything.
What a lot of joy they miss. Somebody smart asked me once, “What do you have after you said no, except the knowledge that you said it?”