An Exclusive Look at My First Art Show!
a lifelong dream come true, pursuing art docentry, and how to get my art in your home...
I’ve dreamt of this day my whole life, AH, my first art show!
Though I pursued fine art in college (15 years ago) my very first art show only just happened on the first Thursday of September, with so many friends surrounding me. My only goal was to sell one piece of art, but instead, I sold three! If you read my last newsletter, you know that it was a wild ride for me to decide on the pricing of my pieces. It was intimidating to truly charge for what these pieces are worth in my mind + calculations + to fund the career of my dreams. But I did it, ended up selling my largest and most expensive piece (WOW) and I’ll keep creating and sharing more ways to access my work… more on that later. If you are in the Seattle area, you can find me at Sew Generously Bespoke, sharing my work again on the first Thursday of October from 5-9pm! I would love to see you there :)
Thank you to everyone who was able to make it out this month! My pieces are up at the beautiful and inclusive bespoke suit shop of my dreams now through early December. You can purchase pieces in person by speaking with Aidan, the gallery manager and exhibit oficionado of Sew Generously Bespoke. And soon, I’ll have all of the available pieces for sale on my website too. I know not everyone can afford one of a kind pieces, so I’ve also been working hard this month to start offering prints of my pieces that will be available in a wide range of sizes!
You’ll be able to purchase prints from me at my next first Thursday event at Sew Generously Bespoke on October 5th. Mark your calendars!
Of course, I only managed to snap an iphone photo of one wall of art at the opening. Oops. But it’s a joy, none the less, to reflect back on these photos and to see the warmth and energy vibrating from so many people that I adore who showed up :) If you come by for First Thursday in October, maybe you’ll see yourself in here too.
Speaking of art shows…
I’m applying to be an art docent for the Seattle Art Museum, more specifically, the Olympic Sculpture Park. Was I by far the youngest person at the informational meeting? Very much yes, lol. But honestly, I grew up in a very multigenerational community and I’m looking to find more creative spaces to exist in communities outside of my tight knit peer group. Art Docent work is kind of known for being something that older, kooky, art loving ladies who have retired turn to to fill their time in their later years. Im 37 so you could call me old in comparison to bright minded Gen Z’rs, but don’t call me a lady please, though I occasionally dress femme. That red dress I wore for my opening was a rare costume choice that served as mostly that, a fun costume.
A quick aside: I’m a non-binary person who feels most secure exploring and embodying “womanhood”, “manhood”, and “androgyny” all at once. I have a very feminine presenting body, not by choice, and hyper feminine terms placed upon me make me uncomfortable. I am tolerant and give grace when folks call me “miss”, “lady” or “girl.” But I really don’t like them and don’t relate to them. I’ll take the term woman as long as you also understand: non-binary is my core, and woman was something I was conditioned to present as growing up. I identify as woman and non-binary because of who I was conditioned to be AND how I’ve always felt at my core. Gender is weird, folks. Identity is complex!
What draws me to art docentry volunteer work?
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an artist and a museum curator. I’m back on track with fulfilling my career dream of “artist” and being a volunteer docent to mostly kids and some adults fulfills my passion for art education, working with children, and art curation.
It’s outdoors! I’m a self appointed Pacific Northwesterner which also means, I have a penchant for getting the seasonal sads. To become a docent, it requires 6 months of training during the 2023/2024 school year. The position is also only active during the school year, the generally muckier months, which forces me into the beautiful outdoors whether there is rain, snow or shine. Making a weekly ritual of teaching + guiding kids in art, outdoors, weekly during the changing seasons of Fall/Winter/Spring will be so good for my soul.
This summer, I completed the first level of training in Visual Thinking Training which is defined as this: “Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) transforms the way students think and learn by providing training and curriculum for people to facilitate discussions of visual art that significantly increase student engagement, performance, and enjoyment of learning.” I want to practice art discussion facilitation in various settings, and art docentry is the perfect place to start!
How sweet is this snap of some of the current art docents at SAM, facilitating a viewing of Blanket Stories: Three Sisters, Four Pelts, Sky Woman, Cousin Rose, and All My Relations by Marie Watts who is an Indigenous artist from the Seneca Nation. As they led the discussion, I felt myself getting teary-eyed. VTS (visual thinking strategies) is core to their discussion facilitation and it’s something I find deeply touching and healing. I’ve always been moved by art through intuition and observation. But VTS helps me to go even deeper, to feel into works of art on a profound level, to absorb what is stirring in the minds and hearts of other observers, the artist and facilitators, and the artist themselves.
Have you ever thought about doing Art Docentry work when you are an old person… or mid life age like me? Applications are still open if you want to join in! It’s a weekly/bi-weekly volunteer position, typically 2-3 hours a week. Volunteering for SAM would be such a full circle moment for me as right after college, I was an artist’s assistant to John Grade whose tree sculpture hangs in the lobby of SAM! Who knows what the future holds. Maybe I will pursue more long term careers with museums in the future or part time art education. I’m dipping my toes and letting myself learn as I go. There is never a perfect time to pivot, try something new or resuscitate a pursuit from the past. Art has always been my dream and destiny, as cheesy as it sounds. It fuels me and fulfills me. And It means a lot to have your support and readership as I share my journey, each stone being set just before I step.
And now, for a lil artist’s collab + giveaway!
Head over to my Instagram to enter to win these adorable earrings by my friend and member of my co-working group, Rachael from Morning Whimsy. She just launched her shop and I want to support her in her launch. So we’ve teamed up for a giveaway!
We’re giving away 1 pair of her Amanita Muscaria Mushroom earrings, valued at $45 plus a mini painting of the same mushrooms in a bokeh effect Fall environment by me, valued at $75.
To enter:
Visit the Instagram post and tag someone who might like these earrings and/or the painting in a comment! *make sure you’re also following @MooreaSeal and @MorningWhimsy on Insta.