melanie-pearl: Art Council Awards (and link city!)

Last Thursday night Chloe was honored with the Youth Recognition Award from the Wichita Arts Council. (She and Mason were the only two teenagers there!) Back during the summer Christopher Gulick called me and asked about nominating her. He wrote this raving letter about my girl's character, talent, dedication and professionalism. (He worked with her at WAM and met her when I did the Mother's day Art and Book Fair of which he was in charge.) Of course I loved the idea of my daughter getting nominated---much less by someone whose metal work I have admired for quiet a while! (I actually met Christopher Gulick while he was building the wire system that held up the Mandala slide holders for the Secrets of Suburbia show in January.)

Well, she won, so we were invited to a great, fancy evening! Chloe and I were able to meet and re-meet some people/artists we're both pretty amazed by. Another winner, John Harrison, had the interactive touch wall at the Secrets of Suburbia show for which I painted the mandalas. Kristen Beal also won an award---she, too, had the blue-green water shadow piece in the SOS show. My friend Kylie won an award for CreativeRush---and she was the curator for the SOS show. After the show we headed to Knobfest to watch UJ in the Wrong Kata Trio where I had the pleasure of chatting with another of the award winners, Mark Foley (Knobfest is his brainchild).

I guess 2014 has been a year for getting outside of my tiny studio. ...and I just love that my girl is even opening more doors for me.

This girl's grandparents...always supportive.

After 6 weeks of no surgeries on Thursdays, Cody was bombed with 7. In Garden City. Midway through the awards he texted us a sad face. This was Coco's response back to him.