first first friday

The big event has come and gone, and the only adjective that appropriately describes it is: surreal.

Granted, on the grand scale of art openings, this one doesn't clock in very high. A small venue in a town that isn't exactly recognized for a prevalent artistic culture. But you have to consier how I usually roll. I'm a law student, and a Law Review nerd at that. Which goes to show that an art opening is about 180 degress from how I usually spend my time. And perhaps that's why I loved it so much.

Instead of reading cases and writing papers over obscure topics that no one will ever read, I got to invest my time and resources into something that people can actually look at and enjoy. And most people seemed to enjoy it. Now, of course I realize that my photographs aren't exactly pushing the limits of the genre or addressing some social conflict, but I like them.

The weirdest thing for me was watching people come in off the street and walk around the room, eyeballing my photographs and discussing them with their companions. Some of these pictures are a few years old, and I've come to look upon them with familiarity and fondness. So to watch someone look at one of these images for the first time and then talk about and point to different parts of them is just... weird.

I did have an interesting conversation with a couple of middle-age-ish ladies.

"Excuse me, did we hear you say you were the photograper in this show?"

"Yes ma'am."

"We love them. Could we get business cards?"

"Well, ma'am, I don't really have cards for this, I'm actually just a law student."

"Lawyer?! No. No. Drop out. Pursue your art."

[Hey lady, my parents are right back there if you want to go explain that to them.] Then the other lady chimed in.

"Are you familiar with Snooty Women?"

".... ahhh... yes... I believe I've known a few... "

"No. It's her watercolor series currently showing at the Regional Arts Center. Have you not had a chance to visit this month?"

"... Hmm... I don't belive so... is that the one on University?"

[The one on Univeristy is the Municipal Arts Center. I was fully aware of this while making the previous sentence. My mom made me take a ceramics class there once when I was like 9. She also made me take gymnastics when I was 5. And swimming lessons. And roller skating lessons. Honestly, who takes roller skating lessons? But I sure was the roller-pimp once I started going to skating parties.]

"No, it's the one on Avenue V..."

"....V.... uhhh..."

"... by the post office?"

"Oh, yes [what post office?]. No, I didn't make it over there this month [Or any other month since I have no clue what she's talking about.]"

They didn't buy anything. As much as they loved my pictures, apparently, their love wasn't the folding green kind. And my love language only knows one word - Franklin.

But the evening was delightful. Thank you so much to everyone who came by; it really meant a lot that e'rybody came out for the show. And Martha and Big Jer really enjoyed chillin' wit' all y'all. And can we please 86 the "your parents are cool - what happened to you?" comments? I've already had to hear it from like, three people. I guess coolness skips a generation.