I confess that football, how to play it and why you'd play it, has always confounded me. Its not that I didn't have exposure to it. Examples of football fans were all around me! My Mother loved it, even her mother loved it plus my cousin's Craig and Ron Wolfley played professional ball. So,what was my problem? Weird artist I suppose. I was headed to Arizona to teach a workshop in Tuscon and as a bonus, I was going to get to visit with Ron. Before I took off, I did a bit of researching about cousin Ron's career. After all, I couldn't arrive totally clueless again! I had to come with some knowledge about his life as a football player. I learned that Ron played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals from 1985 to 1991 and that during his career, he was selected four times to go to the Pro Bowl as a special teams captain. Ron now co-hosts a morning, drive time talk radio show with Doug Franz called, "Doug and Wolf"(thank you Wikipedia for helping me )! I arrived in Phoenix on the 19th and the following evening, I was right in the thick of things with dedicated, Cardinal fans, at the Big Red Rage broadcast at Majerle’s Sports Grill. It was fun and great to see Ron in action! Sometime during the evening, I'm sure he glanced at me and thought, " Yeah, Georgia doesn't have a clue what we're talking about but it looks like she's enjoying the french fries"! It was all good! I was there to share apart of his life and hang out with his daughter, Savannah, who was quite at home with all the football fans and talk. What I do have a clue about, what I am sure of, is that I had a rich and rewarding time reconnecting with a cousin whose house I spent so much time at growing up. I also had the privilege of getting to know his generous and caring wife Stephanie and their children, Savannah and Vetter. Ron and I talked of many things, family, faith, failures and triumphs. Some hard, some funny, but all with deep caring and knowing that comes with a shared family history. It was such a pleasure! Thank you.
0 Comments
"Quilted buildings! Of course I need to see those before I go back to Wyoming"! My sister-in-law, Alaina,told me about it and knew this fiber based, art instillation in the city of Buffalo would be a must see for me. Conceived and orchestrated by Brooklyn based artist, Amanda Browder, the project involved collecting donated fabric, community sewing days and installing the work. It was my last day in New York and the last week the instillation would be up! Besides getting to hang with family one more time, this outing was destined to be a great way to "wrap" things up. "Sew" (this is getting silly),I jumped in the car and left Grand Island for a short ride into the city. The first wrapped building, Clifton Hall, is located on the grounds of the Albright Knox Art Museum. The museum was the project's major sponsor so its selection as a site made perfect sense and it gave me a chance to go to Buffalo's premier art destination . I didn't have time to tour the museum but the museum grounds, with their impressive collection of contemporary sculptures, are worth a look in themselves (no cowboy or buffalo bronzes here). As I was finishing up my painting of "Laura"by sculptor Jaume Plensa, Alaina called to let me know she wanted to meet to see the next wrapped building with me and have lunch together. We met at the former Richmond Methodist Episcopal Church, on Richmond and West Ferry, took some pictures, talked about the project and then headed out for a tasty lunch. What a great afternoon and final LEAP 366, New York experience! Here's what Amanda Browder had to say about the project: "The overarching goal is to engage individuals and groups in the mystery of creation. Volunteerism of local citizens and artists is a segue to creating familiarity in contemporary art as well as the individual nature of the neighborhood itself. From material collection to construction and exhibition, I hope to encourage community volunteers to participate in ways that require collaboration and conversation about city, community, architecture and art". Federweisser is the first pressing of the wine making season. Feder and wiess are German words for feather and white, (finally my high school German becomes useful)! The appearance of the suspended yeast in this 5% + alcoholic drink gives it a whitish color and is technically known as a must. Anthony Road Winery located in Penn Yan on Seneca Lake is owned and operated by the Martini family. They have been holding a Federweisser celebration to usher in the new wine making season with friends, music and food for 15 years. The winery was about 20 minutes from my Sunny Point residency, a bit of a ride but I knew I needed to go for the fun and to revisit a winery that played a part in my family's life over 27 years ago! Ann Martini is Kate Berry's sister. When Dave and I were first married we rented an apartment from Kate and her husband Ric in Canandaquia NY. Even after we moved out of their apartment, we remained friends and visited back and forth. One visit involved going with the Berry's to the winery to help pick grapes. By then we had a 2-1/2 year old son named Ian. Harvesting wine grapes was a new experience for us, particularly with a toddler in a body cast! Poor Ian broke his femur in a playground accident early that summer. We probably weren't all that productive pickers as we wheeled Ian through the rows of grapes but I remember having fun and enjoying the sun and smell of the grapes. I got a chance to share a couple of meals with Ann and her family while in residency at Sunny Point. The family's warmth and generosity were much appreciated while I was away from my own family and the solo artist at Sunny Point. I love how the winery is a family run operation and how at anytime you might see several of Ann and Jack's grandchildren running around the property having a great time with their cousins! I remember running with a pack of cousins when I was a kid and having the best time. We didn't have a winery to run through but if we did I know we would have had as much fun as the Martini cousins!
Artist's residencies are important times for reflection, inspiration and unbroken work time. They usually last for at least a month and include the company of several other artists. The Sunny Point residency was only 10 days long and I was there by myself. Short, intense studio time with several opportunities to connect with new people and places, perfect for the LEAP 366 Project! Sunny Point is on Keuka Lake, one of New York State's eleven, beautiful Finger Lakes. The residency was born out of love and hardship. Annie Smith willed it to the Yates County Arts Center in 2007 after a struggle with cancer that spanned 20 years. Annie was an Art History professor at Sheridan College in Canada. She also published several books including,'Getting into Art History' and 'Bearing Up with Cancer', featuring her signature doodle, a cartoon bear. The cottage and studio had drawings of the bear here, there and everywhere. In the bathrooms, the Bear reminded me to use, 'one ply toilet paper only. Delicate country plumbing'. The book, 'Bearing Up with Cancer', was there too. I ignored it for the first few days figuring it would be a depressing read but when people kept saying, 'read it', I finally did. Like most of you reading this post, I have lost too many dear people in my life to cancer so the prospect of being entertained by this book was nil. Well, I was wrong! Yes it was sad but Annie's outlook on life and the effect she had on the people around her was infectious. My favorite part was when she somehow managed to tape two candy bars and a note to her stomach while waiting for one of her numerous surgeries. Imagine the surgeon's surprise! You have to love her sense of humor. Annie wrote, " At the barn, I could stare at the water and sky and reflections, listen to the birds and wind and waves, smell lilacs, and fresh cut grass, and relish the joys of nature. I was at my healing place". I left a small painting at the cottage of a view I enjoyed while sitting on the dock. I like to image she enjoyed this very same view. Thank you Annie Smith for allowing me to create in your, "healing place". "Stop crying! We haven't even left yet!" I said with disdain. We were building a raft in my parent's basement and planning our escape. My cousin Linrae, got homesick just thinking about it! We were kids making a raft that wouldn't even get up the basement stairs let alone set sail. But, when you're a kid, every dream, every scheme seems possible. This picture was taken at our family's church were we spent a lot of time together. Linrae is in the middle holding hands with me on the right and our other cousin Donna on the left. I have so many shared memories with these cousins . Donna passed away a few years ago and when something like that happens you realize the importance of making an effort to see the people you love whenever you can. So on my way down to my 10 day artist's residency in Keuka Lake, I stopped in to see Linrae and her husband George. What I found was my cousin living her dream as a partner in the Rushford Livestock and Cattle Company. Linrae was always the animal lover in our little trio. Dogs, horses, whatever! She has the kind and compassionate soul that animals responded to. I wasn't so gifted in that area. Linrae was always trying to help me find my inner animal lover. We have a few unfortunate horse riding stories that prove her efforts to help me fell flat. The Rushford Livestock and Cattle Company have a herd of 400, GAP certified cattle. That distinction means they raise their cattle in a humane and natural way. Its something I know Linrae would do even if there was no such thing as GAP. I experienced her cattle raising style when I jumped into her 4 wheeler with her granddaughter Brooke. The morning's task was to move 75 head of cattle, "The Boys", to new pasture. When they saw Linrae coming, they started running after her with enthusiasm! I think they'd follow her anywhere. She told me she sings to them and I have no trouble believing it! She's the "cow whisperer" of Rushford NY. The ride was bumpy, there were cow droppings every where, I still don't want to own any animals but I loved seeing Linrae in her element. Keep singing Linrae, keep living the dream. PS Where were we planning to sail to on our raft anyways? Something tropical I hope, with lots of animals for you to love and for me to just look at.
The last place my family lived before we started our great migration south was Medina NY. Originally developed as a stop over for the Erie Canal, the area still supports a number of farm families. We moved their in the early 90's and bought an old farmhouse with a barn. The two story barn was large and included a three seater outhouse (Mama bear, Papa bear and Baby bear), a chicken coup and a rope swing. Of course we never used it for its original purpose. We were more likely to be working on an art project than raising animals or storing crops! Our idea of farming was growing a few veggies. One year, Ian grew a giant pumpkin that made it into the local newspaper! Our introduction into actual farming came when we met Todd and Deb Roberts. Todd's grandfather started farming in Medina in 1931 and today the family is still farming and farming is still a vital part of the town's economy. The Roberts have roots to the land that people like us can't fully understand. So why did a friendship between artists and farmers develop and last over decades? Well, a farmer that uses GPS and listens to classical music on NPR in his tractor, a wife that sold Discovery Toys (a company we developed a stamp making kit for) and now owns a Yoga studio and a family that sent their daughter and sons to ballet lessons, can be our friend! Todd, Deb and their kids, Adam, Lizbeth, Derek and Mason, have a wide range of interests that have kept our families enjoying each others' company long after we moved. In fact two of their children, Lizbeth and Derrick now live in Colorado. During our farm tour Todd said, “ By having deep roots, the kids can go along way with confidence” and “ I'll pass away in my house hopefully.” For sure we'll see more of the Roberts in our neck of the woods in the future but I know the whole family's heart will always be on the farm. Would you like whipped cream on your milkshake?” the Ted's employee asked. “Why yes,” replied my Aunt Joyce! Sister to my mother, Aunt Joyce, my brother Eric and I were all at Ted's Hot Dog stand to celebrate Aunt Joyce's 80th birthday. Ted's is a Western New York food tradition and we try and go there every time we're in the area. Why? The charbroiled, Sahlen's hot dogs of course! Always cooked to perfection and ready to load up with things like mustard, dill pickles, sauerkraut and the family's secret hot sauce. Yum! That secret family sauce got me wondering what the story behind Ted's was. It was started by a Greek immigrant named Theodore, “Ted”, Spiro Liaros, who came to America with empty pockets and no English in 1913. Ted's first hot dog stand was located at the foot of Massachusetts Ave under the newly constructed Peace Bridge to Canada. 89 years and many locations later, Ted and his family's secret sauce have come along way! Food traditions unite and define many families. Aunt Joyce is part of the Palmer clan, known for their baking skills and love of sweets! Andrew Wyatt once painted a pair of boots as a symbolic portrait of his neighbor. I could do the same for some of my family members but I would choose pies to represent them instead of boots. My Aunt Esther makes a mean lemon meringue, Aunt Marge is know for her cream cheese cherry pie, Grandma Palmer was apple pie and my mother was, well more experimental so she has several pies I connect her to. Rhubarb and pecan pie are my strongest recollections for her. Even the Palmer men, Don and Larry are accomplished pie makers. There's an annual Palmer Pie Party where everyone has a chance to show off their skills. Its a celebration of family tradition and appreciation for homemade goodness! Eric did break the rule of, “if it isn't homemade don't bother,” that day by bringing three bags of Paula's donuts to share with some of the Palmer clan and the Grand Island bunch. Let's just say they all got eaten up that day and no one was complaining! PS, I am finishing this post while waiting for my flight back to Denver. I just checked my bag with 3lbs of frozen Sahlen's hot dogs in it. Take care of them baggage crew! To catch a noon flight in Denver, I have to leave Cheyenne three hours earlier. That's the formula for being on time for your flight when you live in Wyoming. Everything was going fine until my flight got delayed in Denver. I didn't get into Buffalo NY till midnight on the 28th. Luckily, my generous and kind in-laws were willing to collect me and my purple, Geoffrey Beanne suitcases, and head over the Grand Island bridge to their house on the Niagara river. I was in the area for a residency at the Sunny Point studio and cottage on Keuka Lake (more on that in upcoming posts). I grew up in the Buffalo area, so a few days before the residency for visiting family and friends was a must. Some people grow up in great families and some people are doubly blessed to marry into great families. I am that someone! Dave's parent's Al and Dorothy Rowswell and Dave's siblings, Timm, Li-Anne and Alaina , are all a fantastic bonus to marring a wonderful man. Dave's parents raised children with integrity and talents. They in turn married and raised their own wonderful families. The pictures below span the years and events. I hope they give you a sense of the love and fun that ripples through the never ending pond of kindness and care that is the Rowswell family. PS my only problem with marrying into this family is the unusual spelling of our last name. I have had to spell and respell it over the phone, correct it on important documents and one time, after being married for awhile, someone asked me if I was sure it was spelled that way! Well, YES!
Water is a magnet for my husband. Maybe its because he grew up on the Niagara River and spent his boyhood fishing, boating and jumping off the Grand Island bridge. Not at the highest point mind you or his life and mine would have been very different. Dave loves all kinds of bodies of water. Oceans, lakes, trout streams and his favorite, hang out water....hot springs. Thermopolis WY has large and small hot springs and an art show called the Big Horn Basin Folk Festival. The show is still finding its way but we like to support the efforts of promoters who go out of their way to make artists feel welcome so we participate. Dave shows and sells his line of jewelry made from Rawhide. We pay for our trip and supports the arts in the community. A win, win situation. The close of the art show signals the beginning of the Gift of the Waters Pageant. Held in Hot Springs State Park, the reenactment is in its 66th year. In 1896, the Wind River Shoshone and Arapaho tribes sold the hot springs to the federal government with the caveat that a portion of the land and springs would be reserved for the benefit and use of all. The Pageant is an odd mix of genuine Native American customs, former missionary influences and an odd choir of white woman dressed up like squaws. Hum... Anyways, the drummers, dancers and outfits of the Wind River tribes are worth experiencing. But wait! The fun isn't done yet. On Monday morning we took our family to the world famous Dinosaur Museum in Thermopolis. Its chock full of awesome skeletons, fossils and a child's delight, the gift shop. My favorite displays are the crinoid fossils. Beautiful, intricate, flower like fossils in high relief. Dave, Meghan and I could have stationed ourselves in any number of areas and sketched the day away! That would have left poor Ian with a four year old who loves dinosaurs but isn't ready for an all day sketching extravaganza, yet! But wait again, I forgot to mention the Buffalo Jam we got into while driving out of the park! Oh, Wyoming, full of adventure of all sorts! 1974 was a big year. The Mammoth Site was founded, I graduated from high school and Woodstock the Teardrop was born. Teardrops are mini campers with a distinctive shape. We brought ours from a guy named Dale in Casper WY. He was a card carrying hippie who hand built Woody by looking at pictures and dreaming up his own details. HE had peace signs for the windows and a canvas cover for the galley with the Woodstock album logo on it. Inside there was more counter-culture paraphernalia. Rose colored John Lennon glasses, fleece fabric with peace signs, a wooden bead curtain and a marijuana pipe! The pipe went away immediately and most of the hippie decor was eventually replaced with more practical choices. We only owned Woody for a couple of years but we took him on several memorable trips. One year we took it to the Relay for Life and slept overnight in it with our size 4, adult daughter Abby, tucked in the small space between our mattress and the galley wall. Our granddaughter Beatrice enjoyed an outing with Woody at Curt Gowdy State Park. “Pappy, we're c-c-camping!” Woody always attracted attention at every gas station and campground we stayed at. He was rocking it! Unfortunately on July 20th on our way back from our Spearfish trip, the trailer literally rocked itself over just 20 minutes North of Cheyenne. We hit a construction “bump” and at 6:20 Woody was DOA on Rt 85. Between the change in road grade and the Wyoming wind, Woody turned over, detached from the car and hit a road sign. His insides burst and a trail of food, pans, towels, toothbrushes and more littered the roadside. So many kind people stopped to help us. A trucker called the State Police who came and filled out an accident report and then called a tow truck for us. The most interesting and enlightening person who stopped was a man who worked for the construction company that was paving the road. “Did you hit THE bump?” he asked. Hum.... yes we did and you can see the result. “Well, a fifth wheel and the truck went over last week in the same spot “ he said. WOW! You would think the construction company would do something. I planned to have a talk with them. When the tow arrived, Woody was flipped over, secured on the flatbed and taken to a holding area where the Insurance company would look at it and declare it a total loss. It took them a long time to figure out what the settlement would be. After all who could find a comparable for the incomparable Woodstock! RIP
|
LEAP 366
Archives
October 2017
Categories |