Opening Reception in Wilson

On Tuesday we dropped off and installed the artwork for my solo exhibition at the Hammond Gallery in Wilson. I woke up Thursday morning, the day of the opening, and headed to Acme to get a little work done in the studio on some new leather masks. It was unlike me not to have any of the pre-show jitters that I usually have before a big exhibition, especially one that's out of town. But I felt calm and planned to leave the studio at about noon, walk home, take a hot bath and head to Wilson for the opening reception which was scheduled to start at 5:30. At about 11:28 I got an urgent call from the Arts Council of Wilson.

"Leslie, I'm so sorry but I have terrible news. There was a termite inspection at the Boykin Center and there is a structural beam that is threatening to collapse. We can't have the reception there tonight...as a matter of fact, we have to move all of the artwork out of there. Please get here as soon as you can."

Rinse brushes...lock up studio...race home...take a quick shower...dash to Wilson.

Meanwhile, Cynthia Whalen pulled her resources together and started moving the pieces down the street to the gallery space inside the Arts Council. They decided to take down their permanent collection and hang my work. By the time we arrived all the work was hanging and labeled. Whew! Now we had about an hour to relax and freshen up before the reception.

The Council had previously arranged for us to stay at the Whitehead Inn, a beautiful Bed and Breakfast in Wilson. This was the first time I have ever been offered lodging on the night of an opening, so we were thrilled--and even more thrilled when we saw how nice the B&B was.

When we arrived at 5:30, everything looked great, there was an open bar with a bartender, a table covered with heavy hors'doeurves, and two musical performers ready to play.

Even with the odds stacked against it, the night was a huge success. I talked the night away to the many local visitors who came out to meet me. It seemed like every time I wrapped up one conversation, I turned around to be engaged by someone else. I was able to talk about my work freely and openly.

A BIG Thank you to everyone who had a helping hand in making this night a wonderful experience for me. Even though there was a lot going on behind the scenes, the evening went smoothly. And the music was great.