The August 27 Easels on West Maumee finale to the month-long Phantom Gallery exhibits was a great success, as Mayor Hickman noted : “I have never seen so many people on downtown Angola streets, at least not for a very long time on a Saturday Morning.” Add to this the month-long parade of people gawking at and photographing the Phantom Gallery window exhibits, as reported by many West Maumee merchants and observed by many more. It was indeed a Miracle on West Maumee, capped by the 5:00PM reception at Cahoots, where Mayor Hickman read his official Angola Art Town proclamation. More on this below.
First though, for all those wondering, the “Long Cool Woman In The Black Dress” dancing on the sidewalk in black Victorian lace was Trudy McPherson playing Lady Abigail, thanks to Robin King, the expressive street musician playing guitar and singing that title. This is an example of “Steam Punk,” the entertaining, anachronistic juxtaposition of the Victorian and modern elements enveloped within some art form such as drama, visual art, literature, dance, etc. Remember that term, much more will steam into to Angola thanks to Maria Davis and the downtown Go Angola association.
I counted 14 artists selling their work on the downtown sidewalk, and noted others demonstrating their art. The accomplished potter Steve Smith’s “throwing clay” demo was a big morning draw, and Heidi Finley’s astonishing “marbling” demonstrations went on all day inside Cahoots. Later in the afternoon, Steve Smith gave way to King Oberlin, who painted on an easel right outside Diana Killian’s Three Sisters shop. Watch for King to play a growing role in the Angola Art Town Renaissance going forward. And watch to see who else will stand up? Maybe You?
What makes these events so miraculous is that the idea was hatched between just two people in June’s final days, which afforded almost no time for formal planning. There was certainly no advertising beyond some fliers taped in downtown windows, and no other promotion beyond this blog and a couple newspaper articles [thanks to Amy Oberlin at the Herald Republican]. But others signed on immediately, and a great success was carried by grass roots passion and the people’s natural love of Art. So the important question is “How far might these beginnings take us if they are joined by other civic interests with the connections and clout to make things happen?” The Mayor’s proclamation reads in part:
I, Richard M Hickman … call upon our citizens and civic groups to continue in and to even enlarge their promotion and celebration of, and their participation in the arts and culture of our city.
Let us not let these words and manifestation be forgotten after Labor Day. Let us all second the Mayor, and publicly ask the Chamber of Commerce, the Steuben County Tourism Bureau, the local media, schools, and all other citizens and civic groups: “How can we work together, cooperatively, in these directions for the good of the entire Angola area lakes region?”
And let us take note: who indeed will stand up?
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