January arrived and the gallery looked half empty. Our holiday season sales were fantastic and making us very thankful for the continued support of our community and region. Thus, a road trip was much needed to replenish our inventory of artwork. Typically, our artists will deliver work to us, but I hadn’t visited their studios in some time. I had planned to pickup artwork in Jackson one week and the coast the following week. The weather decided to interrupt the plans with snow and single digit temperatures, forcing us to be closed for two days.
Paige Knapp, recent graduate in graphic design and longtime part time employee, started working full time with us January 1. She and I set out last Wednesday headed to Jackson to meet a group of artists; then on to the Gulf Coast to meet more on Thursday morning. What a whirlwind trip we had seeing the artists, their studios and long conversations in the “gallery van” over two days of travel. We picked up art from nine artists in the Jackson area, three on the coast and visited 7 studios over those two days. Nothing beats talking to artists in their own studios and seeing how they work and develop their pieces. The “gallery van” is a black Ford Transit van with extended height and it was filled to the top by the time we headed back from Bay St Louis on Thursday afternoon.
We have received delivery from local artists in the Tupelo area as well. Now the gallery has been reset with fresh and beautiful new works. We can’t wait for you to stop in and see them for yourself. In the mean time, I hope you like some of these candid shots of our travels. And yes, Paige and I survived the long trip and are still talking.
- Kim Caron
