One of my tabletop landscapes -- crafts, photo, all words copyright Kyi M. Kaung.
A portion of the exhibit. Painting second from left by other artist, Susan.Photo by Kyi M. Kaung.
Looking out onto Georgia Av. from interior of Mayorga Coffee Factory.Photo copyright Kyi M. Kaung
I never realized before that painting and exhibiting requires so much physical labor.
And it would all be impossible for me to do, except that I get so much help from my friends.
This time, Alexis from American University called me months ahead. Then she checked closer to the date to see if I am still available.
It gets easier as one has “sets” on different themes or in different styles, ready to show. But I don’t like to show the same things over and over, it’s boring. A friend once told me she recognized “that painting of X’s, you know which one I mean, it’s been there since 2001.” Sometimes, in area galleries, I recognize works I have seen exhibited elsewhere before, but in certain cases I am happy the work is not sold yet. Maybe one day I will buy it. Meantime, I enjoy seeing that sculpture in a catalog.
I met up with Alexis at the Mayorga Coffee Factory, it is of course a Café, selling fair trade coffee, on Georgia Av. in Silver Spring.
Kandi, the manager, was really helpful and said she would provide tables and the white tablecloths. She was also understanding, when I said I might have to drive more nails into the walls, to hang pictures. The wire and hook arrangement is very difficult for someone like me, who can’t cut mats straight and can’t drill holes in frames and twist on wires. I hang my oils on canvas inadvisably by their stretchers. I am not the only artist who worries about the price of professional frames.
I barely slept Friday night. I am the last minute type.
I found out taking about 20 paintings, 20 pieces of wearable art and maybe 20 pieces of ceramics across town for an exhibition, is quite a job, packing and pricing. Setting up, then taking down, packing and transporting back home.
I like to have it all ready by my front door for pickup in the morning.
Wow! Was I glad to see the 2 strong young men in Festival T-shirts who came to pick me up in a van.
One of them also helped me with set up and artists’ relations at Mayorga.
Even then, on the drive back, they told me they were ready to take showers and go to sleep, and I was as tired.
I dither between “going commercial” and “going non-profit” like this.
In cases like this for a good cause – this event was sponsored by International Rescue Committee and other non-profits helping refugees and asylees -- the people I meet and the connections I make are as important, if not more so, than selling art.
I’ve been looking for a long time for organizations that help victims of torture, and so was so pleased when Elise Pierce of ASTT (Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma) walked up to my table.
Wow! Have I met many walking wounded!
Sometimes, just looking at brochures give me story ideas.
I want to thank Mayorga, Alexis, Tom, Er-San, who helped me.
My friends who came by to see my collages.
At 7 PM, I fell asleep on my couch, wondering if I should get up and take a photo of the sun shining on my papaya plant and one of my panel paintings. The next thing I knew it was 5 AM Sunday.
I took the photo at sundown the same time today. My Burmese relatives, when they visit me infrequently from Burma, maybe once in 25 years, can’t understand why I have so many plants in my apartment, but then, few of them have endured winters in the west. I explain, but I doubt they understand.
I never realized before that painting and exhibiting requires so much physical labor.
And it would all be impossible for me to do, except that I get so much help from my friends.
This time, Alexis from American University called me months ahead. Then she checked closer to the date to see if I am still available.
It gets easier as one has “sets” on different themes or in different styles, ready to show. But I don’t like to show the same things over and over, it’s boring. A friend once told me she recognized “that painting of X’s, you know which one I mean, it’s been there since 2001.” Sometimes, in area galleries, I recognize works I have seen exhibited elsewhere before, but in certain cases I am happy the work is not sold yet. Maybe one day I will buy it. Meantime, I enjoy seeing that sculpture in a catalog.
I met up with Alexis at the Mayorga Coffee Factory, it is of course a Café, selling fair trade coffee, on Georgia Av. in Silver Spring.
Kandi, the manager, was really helpful and said she would provide tables and the white tablecloths. She was also understanding, when I said I might have to drive more nails into the walls, to hang pictures. The wire and hook arrangement is very difficult for someone like me, who can’t cut mats straight and can’t drill holes in frames and twist on wires. I hang my oils on canvas inadvisably by their stretchers. I am not the only artist who worries about the price of professional frames.
I barely slept Friday night. I am the last minute type.
I found out taking about 20 paintings, 20 pieces of wearable art and maybe 20 pieces of ceramics across town for an exhibition, is quite a job, packing and pricing. Setting up, then taking down, packing and transporting back home.
I like to have it all ready by my front door for pickup in the morning.
Wow! Was I glad to see the 2 strong young men in Festival T-shirts who came to pick me up in a van.
One of them also helped me with set up and artists’ relations at Mayorga.
Even then, on the drive back, they told me they were ready to take showers and go to sleep, and I was as tired.
I dither between “going commercial” and “going non-profit” like this.
In cases like this for a good cause – this event was sponsored by International Rescue Committee and other non-profits helping refugees and asylees -- the people I meet and the connections I make are as important, if not more so, than selling art.
I’ve been looking for a long time for organizations that help victims of torture, and so was so pleased when Elise Pierce of ASTT (Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma) walked up to my table.
Wow! Have I met many walking wounded!
Sometimes, just looking at brochures give me story ideas.
I want to thank Mayorga, Alexis, Tom, Er-San, who helped me.
My friends who came by to see my collages.
At 7 PM, I fell asleep on my couch, wondering if I should get up and take a photo of the sun shining on my papaya plant and one of my panel paintings. The next thing I knew it was 5 AM Sunday.
I took the photo at sundown the same time today. My Burmese relatives, when they visit me infrequently from Burma, maybe once in 25 years, can’t understand why I have so many plants in my apartment, but then, few of them have endured winters in the west. I explain, but I doubt they understand.
I doubt they understand either why I paint and write so compulsively.
Only another artist or writer would understand.
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