Friends, Relatives, Location

Despite heavy rains during the day, Friday's art exhibit opening was well attended and successful--thanks to:

Friends. Friends showed up. Friends bought paintings and sculpture. Friends brought arrangements for the tables and roses for me. A beautiful young woman played the violin.

Relatives. My brother and sister-in-law formerly owned a gallery in Pasadena CA; they helped me set up the exhibit. My sister-in-law is also a former restaurant owner who had introduced my paintings by hanging them on her walls; she served great food with flair at the opening.

Location. My exhibit shares a Museum with an extensive Native American artifacts collection, and with a tribute to the Thyne Institute, which began educating African Americans in this county in 1878. The Museum is part of the five-acre organically-maintained MacCallum More Gardens which was begun in 1929 by Lucy Morton Hudgins, wife of Edward Wren Hudgins, former Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court. Their son, William Henry Hudgins, expanded the gardens until his death in 1986. Sculptures, stone walls, friezes, ponds with frogs and goldfish, innumerable plants and trees, birds and butterflies, places to sit and meditate--all in Chase City VA! It's a wonderful way to spend a day. The photo below is one of the Gardens' many beautiful sculptures--it was taken just after a light shower and before the dogwoods bloomed; I love the moss. The Museum, exhibit and gift shop are open Mon. thru Fri. 10 to 5 and Sat. 10 to 1. The Gardens are open every day 10 to 5.