Thank God for that BFA

Two weeks ago I decided, after one and a half minutes of profound contemplation, that it was about high time to dust off the pencil, dig out the sketch pad, and break out the ART.

This decision was the result of stumbling upon the Erie Art Museum web page instead of working one day , and seeing that the annual Spring Show was coming up. Since I had just gotten my taxes back, I was in possession of the required fee of $10 per entry, and I also determined that the sting of previous rejections had abated sufficiently in the 18 years since I last pissed away time, effort , creativity and $30 to allow another go at acceptance in the ART WORLD, or another dance with the miserable twin of acceptance, humiliating rejection.

Flashback:
Many years ago, fresh from college, young and idealistic, I entered the Spring Show for the first time. The first show I had ever had the nerve to enter.My theory was to enter paintings that opposed convention yet were still conventional in that they were paintings in frames. Or some shit like that. Come on, I was 22. Anyway, I actually had one piece that I framed with lasagna, macaroni, and whatever other decorative pasta I could find. I glued it all on and spray painted it gold.

Well, darned if I didn't not only get in the show, but I won one of the prizes. Hot damn, I thought as I pocketed my check and talked to all the Erie ART swells at the opening party, I'm on my way. Then soon after the Gulf War broke out, and I was invited to do a piece for a special "All About the War" show, and I was sure ART was my thing. There was no stopping me now.

Of course, every show I entered after that rejected my stuff. After the basement filled up with rejected crap, I just quit even picking the damn things up from wherever I sent them. Then I stopped entering all together. Bastards.


Flash forward:
All this rattled around in my brain as I worked on getting two pieces done in time to enter this year. The huge drawing callous on the middle finger of my right hand hand long ago faded , and my ART muscles hurt like hell after two days of cutting giant stencils with the scalpel that Mother stole for me about 25 years ago, but it felt good to do something ARTSY. It was even fun. I was very happy with the first piece, and okay with the second, and so off they went to be judged.

The moment of truth came on Saturday. I got the mail and there between the 0% APR credit card offers and the Penelec bill was the Erie Art Museum logo. I tore it open and had a look.


The Spring Show opens Saturday, April 22, from 7 to 9:30 p.m with a private preview and reception for the artists.

I'll be there.