Thank You Presents For An Art Institution And An Artist- I've thought over & over how I want to write this. Recently, I embarked on 2 little similar projects-making thank you gifts. 1 for an art center. One for an artist. I did not plan on making a blog entry about it. But then I thought, "Why not?" To the, "Well why did you want to do this?" & "Why do you want to share the fact that you did it?" "What's the project?" I think a few things. A lot of people patronize an art center, museum, gallery, whatever, but then that ends there. Without thinking about it, the patronizing is thank you in and of itself. But I feel these institutions have life forces of their own. A very literal, if these walls could talk. So why not treat them like living entities. A place that has been dear to me is The New York Earth Room located at 141 Wooster Street. It is a permanent art installation of earth created by Walter De Maria. https://diaart.org/visit/visit/walter-de-maria-the-new-york-earth-room-new-york-united-states The keeper of The New York Earth Room, Bill Dilworth, an artist himself and caretaker of one of if not the very oldest hand turned clock towers in America, is a delightful man that just adds to the experience. https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.nytimes.com/2016/10/09/nyregion/a-keeper-of-earth-and-time.amp.html Recently Bill informed me it was the Earth Room's 40th birthday. Well I thought a present was in order! You don't turn 40 everyday! I went through my books and took quotes on earth & soil from a classifications, children's, new age, and gardening book & wrote them out with coloured pencils & put into a simple frame. I got a great thank you from Bill & I thought it was ok for him to speak on the earth's behalf too :) Next, I wanted to thank artist Elizabeth Sweetheart also known as The Green Lady. https://youtu.be/pE5h2kk0NTI And https://youtu.be/-1XDG4VfHGQ She lives in Brooklyn, always donned in green, and seeing her brings instantaneous joy. Maybe that alone makes me appreciate her so much. You can see in the videos she has a great personality. Maybe that's part of it. Maybe if you watched the videos she has a green association because of a trip relating to her father. I have a yellow baseball hat that was my father's & when I wear it I feel it'll be a great day. So maybe it's that. Or maybe I just like her commitment to something it makes me want to develop that. Whatever it is, I wanted to thank her. I gathered up green items around my home & left them at her stoop with a note written in green naturally. (She's public about her home. The door is painted green!) I already have ideas for the next 2 I want to thank. I like this physical creating of a thank you. An acquaintance of mine, Jess Pinkham is an avid postcard writer, including to those she admires. I quite enjoy that. Instagram.com/jestpinkham I've certainly said this before but I'm sure in such a digital age the tangible matters. Maybe more now than ever. & you stopping to create makes you think. And slow down. & focus on one thing. & there's a certain pride in that. & you'll get more ideas. & it's unique. & it shows you really thought about this, that you cared. Even the coolest, hippest, of people & places can feel down trodden or have tough times. A personalized reminder of their importance is always a good thing. Your mission is to show appreciation for an artist, museum, gallery, public art piece, in a personalized way. Living or deceased artists acceptable! Current or defunct museum, gallery, public art piece acceptable! Idea from this blog entry- find your person or institution's birthday & send them a happy one! I'm particularly interested in the lesser known, small, local heroes of the art world. Show me your work! Your thank yous! Artwork! Performances! Costumes! Postcards! Whatever you did to personalize your appreciation! Did you pay homage in a unique way to a non artist person or place that was not a personal friend of yours? Tell me about that too! [email protected]
