A Show, But Not What I Expected

Last week was the deadline to submit work to the Belmar Arts Council's Annual Juried Show, which spans the entire existence of the organization (I believe this was the 11th) and is the most consistently popular show they have.  It gave me a good excuse to finally finish my most recent block, the bricks in the parking lot print, and I got it done with a few days to spare.  We could submit up to two, so I searched my records to come up with something I haven't yet shown at the Boatworks (more than 400 prints and counting so far) and eventually settled on the one above.  Another supermarket print, which I called #10 on the entry form.

My records showed that title popping up in exhibitions in 2002/2003, so it may date from that time.  It's based on a new large supermarket that was built out on the highway in my town.  They were advertising an appearance by the current Miss Chiquita Banana, so I thought there could be a print possibility, or at least an attractive woman in a festive and/or exotic costume.  No banana girl showed up, but I spent a little time exploring the store, and I discovered that there were odd recordings being played toward the back.  Approaching the milk shelves started the sound of mooing cows, while proximity to the eggs brought us clucking chickens.  This led me to consider that they had to have recordings of the farm animals, if not actual animals there, cued to start making noise when people arrived.  I knew from observation that there was a room behind the milk shelves (unlike the traditional set up where shelves are stocked from the aisle, milk was restocked by moving aside a heavy curtain, then pulling the empty rolling shelf cart into the room and replacing it with a fully loaded one.  So my point of view is from the back, looking past the sound mixing board (based on one common to college radio stations I worked at), past the cows and chickens with headphones and clustered around microphones, and out to the store where a surprised customer catches a glimpse while the milk shelf is being changed.  A fun and popular print in the series.

The juror's decision was supposed to be announced yesterday at noon, but that got pushed back to today at noon.  Then more hours passed, but late in the afternoon they posted the list of chosen works and this older supermarket print made it, while the brand new one was rejected.  No predicting these things.  I'm sure the bricks will be seen eventually, but for now my concern is getting the print ready for the show.  I may have a framed copy in storage.  If not, then I have to switch one out.  More than a week before we drop stuff off, so there's time.