Something Like a Storm: The Show that Never Happened.

I don't know if "pre and post covid" will be a defining line as those two years continue falling further into the past, but it's interesting how easily I've forgotten much of what happened or was planned before we got word that things were actually shutting down. 

To be honest, I had a bit of a heads-up. My dad's a doctor and he told us to plan on buying some extra canned food, water and masks in case quarantines started popping up. I never could have imagined what was to come, but we did take note and expected SOMETHING to occur. That said I still had a full slate of plans, shows scheduled, and even openings on the horizon. 

In fact, what felt like one of my biggest shows to date opened just a week or so before lockdown. Scheduled almost two years in advance, Something Like a Storm was the culmination of years of work, picking my favorites from a variety of series. It was the first solo show I had where the gallery took care of all aspects of setup, promotion, and planning, and for the first time during the opening I truly felt like a community turned out to celebrate my painting and listen intently to my thoughts even though I barely knew a single person. The opening was a blast, the show looked great. I was a proud artist excited for the coming year. 

Then lockdown hit. With maybe a week under its belt the show was closed along with the gallery and the rest of the country, only existing in an online form for 99% of its run. Excitement and pride quickly turned to melancholy and disappointment, and eventually I almost forgot the opening had ever happened. Eventually the paintings came home and largely went into storage. The online gallery came down as well, and but for a few printed items I took from the opening, the show became a relic of history only experienced by a handful of viewers. 

Like I've expressed before, I can acknowledge art or a shows quality independently from its monetary worth or attendance, but people actually seeing the art is, to some degree, the reason you create. To have a show you're proud of be shut down for reasons beyond your control is a strange experience indeed. To know the show was up but went almost entirely unseen is like experiencing a personal version the Mandela effect or lost media search.

It happened...the show existed...I swear I was there...I just wish it had more of a chance to be seen by everyone else.

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And just to make it perfectly clear, ArtStart Rhinelander was a wonderful partner throughout this and I am very thanful for their trust and assistance in making the show happen. No one had any idea what was around the corner at that time and I cannot express enough how grateful I am for the opportunity and welcome I received by the staff and community in Rhinelander. Check them out HERE to see what they're up to now.