When I said 'yes' to this idea at the beginning Neil and Angenett helped me see it would take more than myself to make the vision come to fulfillment. What I continue to be deeply grateful for and did not anticipate was how a magnificent TEAM would gather to make this dream come true. Talking about making the dream real started in the studio space I share with four others. Three of us gathered. We entered into the 'visioning state' trying to 'see' a completed art installation. Frannie and Angenett still hold the vision and have made panels and are still designing new panels. From that little meeting we went to see Yvonne at the Highland Art Center who 'saw' the exhibit as filling one room when I could only see a smaller version happen so rapidly. Immediately after leaving the Highland Art Center I went grocery shopping where I ran into Bridget. Her very unique and delightful curiosity about making a panel when she does not consider herself a quilter was encouragement to me. Bridget is a fine artist. That same night I went to a concert in Weaverville by the Community Band. I saw Corky there. Her eyes lit up when I described the all white panels and she decided it was what she needed to get herself back into quilting. Corky is a talented designer of one of a kind quilts. The encouragement of these people was enough to galvanize me into massive action.
I do lose the exact train of action after those initial meetings. My best memory: Quilters in Weaverville: the Mountain Village Quilters, made an angel panel. A birthday tea to celebrate Ruthie's 90th led to interest from artists in other mediums: Karen, Jean-Pierre and Christine, Susan. A meeting of the Log Cabin Quilter's Guild led Jo Ann and Faye making panels. Mary was board from the start. John joined as the metal sculptural artist from which all panels are hung. Blaine and Colleen lent their shop space to create the spirals shapes. Sydney and Rachel, first time quilters, made two stunning panels. Nick made four panels. I made panels and my family helped with some.
Yvonne made lovely art cards to send out announcing the fiber art show featuring our installation. Barbara wrote up a beautiful article for the Highland Art Center Newsletter. John and Evan put up the metal work with help from Liz and Bay. Susan, Angenett, Sydney, Karen and Jean-Pierre helped me label and hang the panels. Neil shot video footage opening night. Judy, Charlene, Mary and more made goodies to eat at the opening. Many Hyampomians (not sure wikipedia has this in the dictionary) came out to celebrate after a successful opening night.
When the opportunity to show our work to Sacred Threads came up two days after opening night a Hyampom Film Company suddenly materialized from out of the wilderness. With the footage Neil shot opening night and a few days later while Ruthie walked the spiral for the first time we decided to make a short video to showcase the work. Neil masterminded the sound engineering and voiceover work from Karen, Jean-Pierre, Neil and myself. Karen and I took this four minute piece and edited the video to fit to the sound. The result is what you see on this blog. Tony figured out how to upload this on to You Tube. The Sacred Threads committee gave an immediate YES. Jim drove me around Weaverville to get permission from those on the video (Sydney, Ruth, Cindy, Cindy, Ruth, Jan, Tony, Barbara, Karen, Christine, Jean-Pierre).
Uh-oh! Oh my! Now we have to figure out how to get this Installation across the country and make a room to show it inside. Oh, and raise the money to do this. Walking in Love Installation is growing up. Kim offered us an umbrella to be a non profit. A Board of Directors has been created, not surprisingly, out of the team of people who have so many talents in addition to their artistic ones. Financial Patrons and management, Publicity, Fundraising, Production are some of the now ongoing endeavors that have drawn talented help to see Walking in Love Installation go to Washington DC and beyond. When you see us on Kickstarter and see Lisa Brey & Walking In Love Team you know that everyone mentioned above (and probably more if my memory has little gaps and please correct me) is making this dream into a reality. How many of us are there now? I think I have lost count. But I hope everyone knows that this project would not be real without YOU. THANK YOU from the deepest part of my being! You are awesome.
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