First popup Art Show and Author Reading

Does combining an author reading with a show of one’s art sound like a good idea? I thought so. These are two of my favorite things, so this January of 2016 I threw a popup 48-hour event. The gallery of my favorite artist building in Sausalito, CA became available through an amazing bit of happenstance, friendships, and goodwill. I finally had 10 paintings I felt were strong enough to show and a book in prepublication. The timing was perfect to take the leap and organize my first art show/hybrid.

At some previous author events, I’d read in cafes, where one’s finely-crafted words are suddenly screeched out of existence with the frothing of each cappuccino. I figured I wouldn’t have a decibel dilemma reading in a gallery. Construction was underway just down the hall from the space where I’d be having this art show, but I figured it would be minimal over the weekend.

I contacted two photographers (also artist friends) who had recently traveled to Iran, the setting for my new novel, The Secret of the Cylinder. They agreed to amend my show with prints of their work, and their sales would be donated to a charity. Another draw! Another win! Collaborative co-creation!

Since I had the time, I was able to plot and plan extensively; researching YouTubes on everything from the proper packaging of artwork for shipping to the 10 best and worst things to do at author readings. Now an expert on glassine, artist tape, and which side of the bubble wrap touches the paint, I also know to read for only ten minutes and make lots of eye contact.

I created an online presence for my paintings through ArtFinder.com, which required scribing each piece’s story, price, dimensions, and all kinds of other metadata, as for a book. I created a list of Suggested Questions for the Q&A part of the program after the reading (also useable for future radio interviews). Building content became easier and easier as I reviewed my process, inspiration, and challenges that went into every painting and chapter. Duel bios, Facebook pages, new Twitter and Instagram accounts…my fourth book was going to get the finest delivery into the world I could offer.

Just like a well-written story is reworked, layered, put down, then revisited, so I also did these things for every canvas until they each became part of a cohesive offering to the world.

As always happens, no matter how well you prepare, something comes out of left field. One of the photographers dropped out the day before the show after some impressive histrionics. The other became my hero; hanging his work precisely and beautifully using his carpentry background, and offering kind words to my battered spirit. (After the fiasco, it took singing my Power Song several times, casting a circle, calling in my allies, cleaning my chakras, transforming the heavy energy many times, and downing much EmergenC and Rescue Remedy to put me into a state where I felt the show could go on without me being a quivering wreck.)

Also on the day before the show, we had a rainstorm of the biblical caliber. Something Noah would find impressive. I set up the room myself. Initially carrying one box at a time in one hand and an umbrella in the other, I eventually gave up and tossed the umbrella; going for the drowned rat artist look. Luckily, with all the physical labor, I stayed warm in the unheated building, despite being soaked to the bone. (I decided years ago that extreme precipitation is a harbinger of good luck as I met my ex-husband on a blizzarding February evening, and have been offered great jobs on downpour days.)

The day of the show, my second hero, my partner, whisked me to Costco to stock up on the much-needed wine, cheese and crackers, then helped extensively with opening day setup. With Chardonnay chilling, the Afro-Cuban All Stars playing, and the lighting set “just so”, we began greeting guests, friends, and local artists from the building as they filtered in and floated around the gallery space. The energy built; the event’s own organic momentum grew and flowed beautifully through the reading. Guests offered astute questions (we discovered a link between the Cyrus Cylinder and columns in India that also contained a sort of declaration of human rights, placed in a central location of a community space). Four hours flew. And then it was time to close the doors for the day and head off to a local restaurant to recap the high points over champagne.

On Day Two of the show, another hero helped with setup and then the fast-track breakdown (just 45 minutes because we knew where everything was, how to do it properly, and all the doors and elevators were working…plus it wasn’t raining.)

Besides some earnest hammering at the neighboring construction during the second day’s reading, the show went without mishap.

Lessons learned: You can never prepare enough. Rehearse what you’ll be reading many times, so it sounds smooth in front of an audience and you don’t fumble the alliteratives. Be kind. Always. Forgive yourself and others for being imperfect. Enjoy your party!