To celebrate Flag Day, I wanted to show off my American Flag.
My house was built in the 1790’s and is one of the first in Kentucky. I wanted a flag that was flown when the house was built. The 15 star flag was used from 1795-1818, when Kentucky and Vermont joined the US. It is the only US flag to also have 15 stripes. It is nicknamed “The Star Spangled Banner” , because it is the flag that Francis Scott Key wrote our National Anthem about.
So next time you drive down Old Main Street in Old Washington, slow down and take a closer look at the flag hanging at my house. It’s a piece of history!
I LOVE Gallopolis! Folks are very nice. I was offered food, a car honked at me, full of smiling teenagers with their thumbs up. The vibe of the community is happy and healthy. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that they also have a bike trail.
I ended up following the trail, without thinking about where it led. It was just nice to be away from the cars, and enjoying the sounds of outdoors.
As luck would have it, the trail went the opposite direction I was going, so I had to tackle some very steep gravel mountains before I was back on course…at least there were cows!
So I slept by the river, with a great view of the power plant…I wonder if Lewis & Clark ever thought there would be such a thing?
The next day, I crossed the river to West Virginia! And when I stopped at the grocery to stock up on food, I realized I had lost my wallet! I went through EVERYTHING, and then went into a full panic…I considered abandoning the trip. I called my sister, who looked into ways to wire money, but the town was so small, there wasn’t anywhere to send the money.
So I went a night without a meal…not the worst punishment for being careless…especially considering a goal of the trip was to loose some weight. That night, when setting up my tent, the wallet slid out of a corner, and changed my mood 180 degrees! (I looked in the tent at the grocery store)
No longer broke, I pedaled as fast as I could with my money to the nearest city, Parkersburg, where I bought a delicious tomato, artichoke, olive, mozzarella salad. (i ALMOST went to the chinese all-you-can-eat).
Parkersburg is another cool town, with a vibe similar to Gallipolis. People look healthy, and happy. Everyone I asked knew about their rails to trails, and spoke of it with a bit of civic pride…and I can see why!
The rails to trails, is part of a national program that converts old railroad tracks into trails for bicycling, hiking, horseback riding, etc. For the most part, it’s well maintained gravel, and it goes through some of the most beautiful scenery you will ever see.
The North Bend Rail to Trail is a 72 mile stretch from Parkersburg to Clarksburg. It’s part of the 5,500-mile coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail. After sharing the road with cars for the last 5 days, it was paradise.
It’s nice riding THROUGH the mountain instead of over, but with no light, it can be a little scary.
The Washington Opera House Theatre keeps cranking out incredible performances!
Friday, I enjoyed a great seat while the UK Symphony Orchestra performed in downtown Maysville. I enjoy classical music in my studio, but nothing compares to hearing/seeing 20+ musicians performing together on stage.
The concert was directed by John Nardolillo, included operatic performances by Maysville native, Catherine Clarke Nardolillo. Followed by UK Opera’s Ellen Graham, and Metropolitan Opera star, Cynthia Lawrence.
The second half of the concert was a performance of Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”. The musical performance had me on the edge of my seat. It was an explosion of instruments, complete with many strings, horns and drums.
If you missed the concert, you missed a great performance. You also missed the announcement of my upcoming art project, a series of banners that will be unveiled May 7th during Maysville’s Art Walk, as part of Maysville’s Cultural Arts District.
While stuck in my house during a snowstorm, I noticed a few flashes of red. I was surprised to see a flock of birds (20+) all around the house. I put on my hat and went outside with my camera. I love how you don’t have to leave your yard to enjoy the wonders of nature…it comes to you!
Over the holidays, I had an opportunity to drive through the Smoky Mountains National Park. In the Park, near Cherokee, NC, is a wonderful Mountain Farm Museum. Visitors can walk freely through the farm, and experience what farm life was like 100 years ago.
There is an old farm house, made from chestnut logs.
A Sorghum mill, and root cellar.
A Barn
A Blacksmith’s shop
And many other exhibits that demonstrate everyday life in a mountain farm 100 years ago.
I was impressed how everything on the farm was directly connected to the land. It’s interesting how in 100 years, modern life has separated us from much of the natural world. We do not create our home, food and tools from our local environment like we used to.
I like to hike in the winter. The air is cool. No bugs or snakes.
And with no leaves, you can see the shape of the earth. A friend once described it as seeing mother nature with her clothes off.
Just outside West Union, OH is a Buzzardroost Rock trail. It’s a short drive from my studio. You can read more about the trail and preserve here.
The trail winds along a few ridges, and ends at a spectacular panoramic view of the Nature Preserve.
My dogs, and buddy Mike all had a great time getting outside…climbing big hills and enjoying the fresh air.
The drive to the preserve is an experience in itself. We followed a narrow winding country road through some of the prettiest country I have ever seen.
So if you’re looking for something fun to do in the West Union area…don’t miss this trail.
While visiting family over Thanksgiving, I took a few photos and experimented with the Photoshop. I have a lot to learn about photography, but I feel like they are pretty good. I would love any tips from the expert photographers out there!
I don’t clock in and out like many traditional jobs. The consequence is that I often work myself into a frenzy. I love my work, and it makes me happy, but there is some truth to the saying, ‘all work and no play’…even for artists.
My Mom and Dad have retired in Georgia, where they are taking care of their parents. And I wanted to pay them a visit for Thanksgiving…regardless of how busy things are in the studio. I was also feeling consumed my many projects, and I needed to get away for awhile.
I decided to use all back roads, and avoid the mad holiday rush on the interstate. The 600mile drive took 2 1/2 days, and it was a beautiful experience. I drove slow, enjoyed the scenery. Instead of rushing through at 75 miles per hour, I feel like I had a little more connection to the land I was driving through.
I noticed a trend. Most commercial activity takes place on by-passes with a sprawl of familiar superstores. I know you can’t stop progress. Interstates satisfy a need, and everyone appreciates low prices, I just hope we are not in such a hurry we keep by-passing some of the best parts of our country. Main street businesses are becoming more of a rare bird. Their time might have come, but I think it’s worth the extra time and effort to support the idea of Main Street USA.
Maysville, Kentucky is one of 3 cities chosen by the Kentucky Arts Council for an Arts District development program. As part of the program, members from each city visit each other to compare strengths & weaknesses and learn from each other. Famous as Kentucky’s Arts and Crafts capital, I think there are a lot of lessons we can learn from Berea’s example.
We began the day at the Kentucky Artisan Center At Berea, an outstanding gallery on interstate 75 that features Kentucky artists and craftsmen. The center’s director, Victoria Faoro spoke about the Artisan Center’s program, followed by a talk by the Berea’s mayor, Steve Connelly, sharing Berea’s history, and studies about tourism’s potential growth as an industry, and the importance of creative people in the development of the new economy. One of the city’s programs to grow and attract tourism in a sustainable way, is developing a network of hiking and biking trails.
Belle Jackson, Berea’s tourism director, treated us to a whirlwind trolley tour of the city. The trolley is used for special events, but on Saturdays, it is used to take tourists to the different sections of Berea. We started at the welcome center at the Old Town Artist Village, a restored train depot with information of things to do in Berea. The Welcome Center overlooks a restored log cabin in the heart of the Artist Village that hosts weekly bluegrass jam sessions on its porch.
I liked the city’s use of hands in their branding. They represent hand crafts. They had a program where artists painted fiberglass hands, (similar to Lexington’s horses, or Cincinnati’s pigs). They also commissioned an artist to create metal sculptures of hands to use to display historic information throughout the city.
Hands are also used for The “Studio Artists of Berea” marketing program. A city program where artists sign a contract agreeing to stay open at certain times and refer visitors to other studio artists and showcase at least 70% work that is created at their studio. In return, they are part of the map, marketing, and they use a common sign to identify participating members.
Our first studio stop was Weston Studio Glass, where we met glassblower, Michelle Weston, who demonstrated her craft in her studio. Her gallery has a large window into the studio where visitors can watch her work. Michelle talked about the benefits of having a studio in Berea, and benefits of the “Studio Artists of Berea” program. Click the video below to see Michelle at work:
Then we visited Gastineau Studio, where we met Ken and Sally Gastineau. Ken demonstrated turning a pewter cup, and talked about his successful business move from Santa Fe (a world famous art location) to Berea.
Before leaving old town, we stopped at the Top Drawer Gallery, and met Terry Fields.
As we rode the trolley through Berea, Belle talked about Berea College, it’s history and influence on the city. The college has a proud tradition of charging no tuition, serving the Appalachian community, and living sustainably. It was the first college in the south to educate blacks (it was illegal at the time!)
In exchange for an education, students help the college by creating or selling crafts. Heated and cooled by geothermal heat, the college is serious about sustainability. The college has an eco village where students are challenged to live completely “off the grid. providing their own electricity and water.
For lunch, we visited the Boone Tavern & Hotel and Restaurant. A historic building owned by the college. The tavern manager, talked about the building’s 100 year birthday and recent renovations.
They preserved the building’s historic character (it is on the national register of historic places) AND continued to make history by being the first LEEDS (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified hotel in Kentucky.
Berea students make up 80% of the Tavern staff, and much of the food comes from the College’s organic farms. The city also recently had a 100 mile pot luck, where all the food at the event was local, and came from a 100 mile radius.
After lunch, we visited the Berea Arts Council. We met the council’s executive director, Gwen Childs who talked about their programs to bring the arts to the larger community. Their gallery showcased a fine art quilt exhibit. The college provided a free space for the Arts Council for many years, they recently started paying a $50/month rent.
The Boone Tavern and Arts Council is located on College Square, a series of buildings owned by the college. It also provides space for many galleries that feature Kentucky Artists and Craftsmen, art supply stores, and restaurants.
During our visit, College Square was being decorated by Quilt banners. They were all unique, and created by different community organizations.
Our final stop was the Berea Craft Festival. Located in the Historic Indian Fort park, it showcases work from the Appalachian region, with demonstrations, including music, dance, and dying fibers with natural materials (over an open fire)
The visit to Berea was inspiring. It’s interesting that Berea College’s founder is a native of Maysville’s neighbor, Bracken county. The college’s progressive leadership seems to be the driving force for Berea’s culture. Imagine how different Maysville might be if John Fee had the opportunity to start his school in this area.
I recently talked to an artist friend who used to have a gallery in Maysville. He is moving back to Kentucky from Tucson, AZ, and decided that he wants to open his new gallery in Berea instead of Maysville. I want to convince him to return to Maysville, but after my visit, it will be very difficult in terms of resources for artists. Berea also appears to be much more in line with my personal core values as a citizen and artist.
Personally, I think Berea will be fine without me. It has plenty of artists active in it’s community. It is ready for the future and is well positioned to thrive as a cultural center. There is a much greater need for us here in Maysville.
After the trip, a few ideas that come to my mind (in no particular order) are:
Does the city use our trolleys to transport tourists between the two main destinations in our city (Downtown Maysville and Old Washington) on weekends?
could our local artists/guild/businesses commit to operate at certain hours and/or do demonstrations in exchange for being included in the city tours/marketing program?
can we come up with something creative like Berea’s hands to display information about our history and architecture?
Joe Brannen At His Workshop Photographer, Tom Ross Planted a tree for Earth Day
Attended a Kiln opening at the Artisan Center At Maple Creek, and sketched a “Kiln Opening” idea for a painting Stopped at at Bromwell’s in Cincinnati,to see my good friend Pam Wiseman’s Artwork. And had my socks knocked off by the clay artwork of Tracey McClorey .
Then finished the evening catching up with the artists at the Pendleton Art Center.
I’m busy getting ready organizing our upcoming art show in Maysville, but hope to get everyone up to date with one more blog post, so stay tuned.
