Opening Reception in Ocean Grove

 Got a bunch of emails regarding tonight's opening reception for the show up at the Jersey Shore Arts Center, featuring my latest and never before exhibited prints.  Mostly it was about food, as it was mentioned that artists should bring something.  Many said they were bringing beverages and cookies, so I didn't want to get those.   I was hoping for some filled breads at the Joe Leone's in town (something I used to bring to critiques), but the main location in Point Pleasant said they no longer do them on weekdays, so no surprise this satellite location had none either.   So I bought a couple of containers of taralle  (fennel seed and black pepper, not too hot for anyone who would show up I figured), a good finger food for a reception- dry, room temperature, and not likely something anyone else would bring.  Left them out in the car.

Late afternoon I drove up to the building, partly to get a good parking spot, and partly to finish the last bit of my current block.  Accomplished both.  Meanwhile, the show was all installed, so Molly finished her pieces and wired them for hanging, and everyone else got their stuff up as well.  The cafeteria in the basement was full of people, so I waited until I got upstairs to use the restroom. 

So who showed up?  By my count, somewhere between 30 and 40 were there for most of it.  Steve, out tv producer, was there as we had been told, filming things as part of his documentary about the building and its residents. None of the people I had invited showed up (some had replied with reasons they couldn't make it, and with a weeknight opening at the dinner hour, I couldn't blame them), and even a lot of the building artists didn't show. Most of the exhibiting artists were there, such as Molly, so we were able to talk about some things.  Another of our former critique members was there, Michelle, and her mother, who I have had art business with before. 

Jeanne, our director, was by the food table and was the person who put up the tags for each work, and wasn't sure if she got them right.  She hadn't.  Put up the right one for "Cross Roads Blues", but switched the other two prints.  Later I pointed this out and she switched them back.  She said she had no way to know which title referred to which piece, but I pointed out that the title of each print could be seen on the front and back of each framed piece (even showed her when she walked over to switch the tags), but that hadn't occurred to her.  And she wasn't sure what the image had to do with the title of "Traveling Riverside Blues."  Nothing really, as it is based on the lyrics, printed right there under the image, and I didn't write those, but Robert Johnson did.  I suppose she has a lot on her mind right now.

I'm still not sure if my hanging location is great.  Same place as my boardwalk prints had been.  Right next to the main door of the theater, and right by the food at the reception, but while many walked in the area where they were, most just walked past them.  Below are a few shots I got:

I did interact with a few viewers, for example, a man I didn't know but was particularly entranced by my print, "Terraplane Blues," which he said much reminded him of the work of writer Raymond Carver. I haven't read much Carver, but from what I know of him, it's not an objectionable comparison.  Carver died much later than Johnson, so for all I know, he may have been influenced by Johnson as well.  The work will remain up for at least another month, so I may hear some more before this is all done.  Meanwhile, half my taralle were eaten.  Almost all the wine was gone.