Thursday, 6/23/11

Jury at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery, Winslow, WA

We got up at 4:45, had breakfast, and left in cold and drizzle—not the best weather for lugging paintings around town—to catch the 8:45 ferry to Bainbridge. We allowed extra time to deal with the morning rush, but everyone else seemed to be going somewhere other than where we were. All the tall buildings in Seattle had their tops lost in fog, but as the ferry slid across the Sound, the sun came out.

At the gallery I received an appointment for three p.m.; we drove around to the lower area and delivered the three paintings we had framed. That done, we spent the intervening time visiting the shops and the historical museum. At three we were directed again to the lower area.

One man was in the room, a storage area, with paintings in bins all around. Right away he said they wanted two of the paintings, Shadowed and Above the Beach. He invited me to sit down. If I had expected anything, it was perhaps a nice little conversation about how the work wasn’t exactly what they were looking for, etc., some advice about pricing. . .

He said there were eleven jurors, and the verdict was unanimous. A packet was thoughtfully provided: the gallery newsletter, Red Dot—happy title—an arts tabloid for the area, postcards of exhibitions, the contract. “Welcome to the gallery,” the Director said. He told me that they are regional in the widest sense, from San Francisco to Alaska.

Everything was over in about 15 minutes. I am so calm I think I am in shock.

At Bainbridge Gardens we bought a huge Bonfire begonia by way of celebration, had a super dinner under the twinkling lights of Molly Ward Gardens. All day alternate sun and clouds, with tiny spits of rain but as we were on our way home, someone upstairs turned on all the faucets and it poured

How do I feel?

exhilarated? puffed up? blasé? over-excited? apprehensive? (the

paintings won’t sell and I’ll never do anything else they like)

No.

Satisfied—yes.

Grateful—yes.

Everything fell into place, even the weather, and I am very happy. Happy and content, that’s what I am.

These are the paintings on display at the Bainbridge Arts & Crafts Gallery

This is their site:
http://www.bacart.org/
http://www.bacart.org/contact.html#direction