Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Patrons with Beer and Chili

I am not famous for my artistic abilities.  My Drawing 101 teacher was polite about my efforts, and in Painting 101 was...guarded about my self-portrait in oil. My college poetry is cringe-worthy, and let's just say I've never tried acting because I'm not even a good enough actor to be a waitress when I'm not acting.

No.  My unique gift seems to be finding & keeping as friends amazing artists of all varieties.

I have friends who are authors, painters, filmmakers, actors, designers, glassblowers and all-around-crafties.  These days I can't turn around without one of my peeps launching something amazing.

This past Friday we had our lovely neighborhood happy hour (Paradise:  where the kids are happy but the parents even happier!) and at our table we had not one but TWO Smithsonian exhibit designers (married! how cute does it GET?), and they were full of excitement about projects launching this week. 

Clare is the exhibit designer for the fantabulous new display "A First Lady's Debut," at the National Museum of American History.   She had to remain very close lipped about the details as of Friday, but now that the exhibit's opening tomorrow and the First Lady's gown is safely ensconced, maybe it's ok to namedrop? OMIGOSH MY FRIEND CLARE WAS THE DESIGNER OF AN EXHIBIT OPENING WITH MICHELLE OBAMA TODAY! CHECK IT OUT!




And Jer was equally excited about an exhibit he's worked on for almost a year, slated to open March 13 at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery:
An extraordinary Buddhist shrine room will be on public view for the first time at the Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery from March 13, 2010, through July 18, 2010. "The Tibetan Shrine from the Alice S. Kandell Collection" will offer visitors a unique opportunity to encounter superb works of Tibetan Buddhist art in the sacred context in which they were first created and displayed. The shrine room is considered to be the only one of such magnitude and artistic quality in the United States. [To read the rest of the press release click here.]
And then, the Happy Hour crowd got to quiz our favorite photographer Dave K Cooper on his latest occupation - filmmaking for Embarq - a group of people working to promote sustainable transport on this little globe of ours.

I am so genuinely excited for all these amazing people.  I went to bed that night bubbling over with enthusiasm for their projects, and their successes this week.  As we curled up under the duvet, I exclaimed ooh, honey - you know what we're like? We're like patrons - our house is like the salons of Paris in the 1920s!

An exhausted Torbjorn rolled over, and here's the last thing he said to me:  Kirsten. To be a patron you have to have money. I think we're the only patrons in the world who support with Beer and Chili.

7 comments:

Cheryl said...

Beer and chili? You ARE the best patrons!! What an illustrious crowd you run with! I would've peed my pants if I was your friend Clare!

Clare said...

yeah - a little pee came out. :)

Here's to Kirsten and Torbjorn! They are the BEST patrons anyone could ever have. In the midst of all the insanity that Jer and I have been feeling over our two enormous impending exhibit openings (how is it that the universe aligns our schedules like this??) all we could think of was... let's go to Paradise. A night at the Yellow House is all we need to feel that things are right again. Keeping company with our Happy Hour friends (K,T,J,D,B,C) is like comfort food, with a serving of comfort food on the side, and a lovely order of comfort food to go. And, the food there is great, too!

K and T - you guys are the best. And thanks for the huge shout out about our projects. You can patronize me anytime. :)

Unknown said...

Happy B-day Lars Bjørn!
uncle Jon Endre & aunt Marte

Joya said...

I want to come to Paradise!!!

Anonymous said...

Kirsten,
Your friends seem incredibly talented. However I think you are selling yourself a bit short! I remember sitting in an art class with you in college and you drawing a rather amazing alligator/vacuum cleaner mashup thingy. It was shortly after being awed by your masterpiece that I dropped the art class and decided I was better off sticking to my literature and music appreciation electives. Do you still have the vaculligator pic?

Jen said...

Only the best patrons give out chili and beer. Well, in my book anyway.

Michelle said...

Weekly neighborhood happy hour sounds fun! We've had out neighbors over when we've had parties but nothing on an ongoing basis.

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