So, for the past several months, I have been steadily, methodically, and yet, at times, nervously, preparing for the 'debut' of Reptire Designs at the Festival for the Eno. This glorious union has been a long term goal in the making..
SO, (GASP) LETS START AT THE BEGINNING..
If you don't know, the Festival for the Eno has been held for some 30+ years at a beautifull glade of a park called West Point On The Eno (on the outskirts of Durham NC), which is the site of an old flour Mill, whose water wheel still turns a giant stone, which still grinds corn into grits and flour). Needless to say, with the mill's ancient wooden smells, the park's cathedral like canopy, and the Eno River tumbling quietly through it all, the park is a serene and pretty magical place. My Mom used to take me there when I was a little brat, and I happen to have many fond memories of this site, including working for a nature camp in more recent years, and letting kids play hide-and-go-seek in that creaky old mill. The serenity of this spot may be lost on adolescent boys at times, but it imbues festival goers with a certain fluid calm...
Inspite of the fact that the Festival is held during perhaps the sweltering hottest time of the year in NC (earning it the name Broil Fest by some), this has never stopped me, or thousands of other Durhamites and others from the triangle area, as it still has Alot of good things going for it...
First, duh, is The Eno River. And like the great Ganges, West Point on the Eno is kind of a shrine, where people have connected with the river for hundreds of years. Either mechanicaly, with water wheels, recreationally, with our legs, canoes or fishing poles, or educationally, with nature camps. So, if you are coming to the Festival for the Eno, if you have any kind of sense at all, bring a bathing suite, and pay a visit of homage while you are there, to cool yourself in its waters..
Another good thing the Festival has is music; they stage some of the finest musicians around. I have especially good memories of cooling my toes in the river to the dark mysteries of Shark Quest, and also of cooling my soul in the river of the TROSA house band's music. And thats just the tip o' the ice burg at Broil Fest. Thats what we do here in 103 degree weather, chill.. any which way we can..
The festival also has a lot of really gifted Artists and Artisans showing their work there, from all over the southeast, which have really been a treat to meet and explore over the years. Daniel Mathews, a reclaimed metal artist, who makes wonderous furniture and life size animal sculpture was an early inspiration, and he is still there, his work just getting more unbelievable. Another of these is my friend Roger Deninger, who makes Beautiful furniture out of reclaimed barn wood, in his business Reinbarnation- genius. He once told me that he does well at the festival, and said that he thought that my work might also, as it is also from a reclaimed material, which Festival for the Eno goers seem to appreciate. My informal interviews with other Craft artists have also yielded a similar conclusion, namely, that the Festival is a crafts buyers market- many people come to this festival to buy crafts. So, in the last few years, it has become a goal for me to sell at this festival.
Back in 2005, I actually rode my bike out to the festival, and brought Luther the Snapping Turtle (Head) in a back pack, to do some 'test marketing.' The feedback was positive. I have one fond memory of this guy with a nice 'Tupelo Waterfull' (full on 'mullet'), going wild-eyed and slack-jawed and stammering when he saw the thing, and then racing around to show his friends; he had never seen anything like it! Soliciting this reaction, bringing out this kind of kid-like excitement in a full grown man, certainly left a mark on me... It was also at this time that I crept up behind Ann Woodward, Director of the Scrap Exchange, who was selling her Fabulous MaeMae Bags there in the shade, and gave her a peek of this hideous thing hiding in my back pack; and in response, she bravely offered me a show at the Scrap Exchange...
So a couple years ago, I contacted the Festival to find out how I could apply. The director of the festival, Greg Bell, emailed me back and kindly told me how I could apply. He also asked of I was the artist who makes the tire art. He had seen the work downtown at the Durham ArtWalk! (that I mentioned in this blog). He encouraged me to apply, and the rest is history...
OK, I'm gonna sign off now, have a drawing class to teach tomorrow, to be continued..
