Wooden that be Fun? Solo Exhibition at the Dreams Center Gallery in Wilmington
Updated: 5 days ago
“How many pieces of art do you need to fill a solo gallery show anyway?”
“That all depends. How many do you have?”
I did a little mental inventory. The reality was I had no idea, but I knew I had to be close. Honestly, I’d lost track of how many I had a long time ago. Maybe 15? Maybe 20... more? Who knew? Could I even fill a gallery? 20 seemed like the right amount, but I had no idea. I'd never done a solo show before.
“Yeah, ok, I’ll do it,” I said. Hoping 20 was the magic number
Fast-forward two weeks, and I'm cruising down Highway 40 with a car full of art. Despite the torrential downpour, I made it to Wilmington in one piece. What did I end up bringing? Everything. I couldn't decide what to put in and what to leave out, so I brought it all, every single piece. The way I figured, it was better to have too much than too little.
McKayla Walker was the amazing, fabulous artist whose work was shown prior to mine and also the artist who connected me with the gallery. Thank you, McKayla! Your closing show was awesome. Happy to say I met some cool people there and even got a tour of the Dreams Center.
Now, in case you were wondering, was 20 enough? Yep, turns out I was. In fact, I had more than enough art to fill the space. Guess it helps that my pieces are big.
So How Did Your Gallery Show Go?
So glad you asked. Here are a few highlights for your viewing pleasure.
I'll start by saying, for anyone who was unable to attend, I highly recommend checking out the gallery. If you want to add it to your Google Maps, it's called the DREAMS Center for Arts Education, and it's just outside of downtown Wilmington and right around the corner from one of my favorite sandwich shops called The Half. (And no, The Half didn't sponsor me; I just like the place, so I'm popping in a link in case you want to check it out while you're visiting).
I don't think I can mention the Dreams Center without mentioning the Director. Her name is Liz Gage, and she is amazing. I'd also recommend checking out this really cool article about the space in Encore magazine. It talks all about the Gallery and why it's such a special place. (You didn't hear it from me, but there might just be a pop quiz on this article in the next post, so be sure to take notes).
Anyhow, where was I? Oh yeah, as I mentioned, this was of course my first solo show and actually my first gallery show as well. It was called Wooden that be fun? It's a collection of large paintings on wooden backgrounds. It's pretty much all the stuff I’ve been working on and sharing with you guys for the past three or four years. Some of it you've probably seen, and some made its first-ever artistic debut appearance, but enough about me; let's get to what goes on in Wilmington on Fourth Fridays, because that was a big part of this show, and I think you guys are going to like this. If you are unfamiliar with Fourth Fridays in Wilmington, here’s the skinny:
“On the Fourth Friday of every month, galleries and art spaces in downtown Wilmington open their doors for an after-hours celebration of arts and culture. From 6–9 p.m., explore more than 20 participating galleries and creative spaces throughout the downtown area.”
(That’s a quote directly from the site).
Now, if you ask me, that’s pretty cool, but you know what’s even cooler? My work was just a small part of that celebration. Yep, little ol' me, yours truly, has finally joined the ranks of the fine art world with my first solo exhibit, and I couldn’t be prouder. This marks a huge milestone for me, and an official entry into the world of fine art. Now I know you're dying to see a few more pics from the event, so here you go. The theme for the night was stickers and tattoos. I had lots to hand out, and a good time was had by all.
Bob shows off a sticker kit the "Wooden that be Fun?" event A collection of fine tattoos for Mae Ostrom, McKayla Walker and I'll be you know that guy Tommy Murphy and Bob sporting a couple of spiffy tattoos Bob Ostrom and Master tattoo artist Charlie Ostrom compare skulls
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