Hi everyone!
Currently the back deck thermometer registers 88 degrees, in the shade. For those folks who didn’t already notice, it’s hot outside!
If you’re like me, you nip out in the summer for a quick walk to the creek or a nearby business, but use public or private transportation (air conditioning!) for everything else. But what about those brave, amazing souls who work outside in this weather? Our police and fire personnel, utility, solid waste, street maintenance crews and postal carriers brave the wet and cold every winter as well as the heat (and wet) each summer. Thank you, stalwart service providers! Our communities would be sorely challenged without you.
I was at the Powderhorn Art Fair in Minneapolis on Saturday where I saw lots of art and a great deal of natural beauty. It was also where I witnessed the quiet strength of another group of workers who brave the weather each summer: the fair artists. Despite the rain of the morning and the heat to come, these people had set up their shops and were generously answering the questions of all who entered. How could they be so cool when it was so hot, so willing to sit for hours without a break and still so patient with the crowds?
Rita Beyer Corrigan is one of the calm, friendly artists the heat didn’t seem to affect. Rita creates rich, colorful pastels of both local and European settings. She’s also the mother of Kat Corrigan, of “30 Dogs In Thirty Days” fame. Kat has a strong online presence that features both her appealing acrylic paintings as well as her conversational style of writing. If you’re interested in learning more about the process of trying to paint while dealing with the daily challenges of family life, you’ll enjoy her blog. (Like me, she’s an English major. Unlike me, she manages to keep up with her posts and her artwork without all the excuses. Oh well!)
This is Brenna Busse! She’s a mentor to two of my art buddies through the Women’s Art Registry of MN Mentor/Protegee program. She’s very gifted and thoughtful. You’ll find her art under “mixed media” at the Grand Hand Gallery (east end of Grand Avenue, in St Paul).
These are pieces from her new collection called “Sacred Circles.” They make me think of St Francis of Assisi. So tender!
Brenna’s website lists upcoming shows in Milwaukee, Chicago, Rockford and Peoria, IL. She’ll be outside for a number of them. I honestly don’t know how any artist does it. It could be rainy, windy or cold. Yikes!
Here’s another shot of the Powderhorn Art Fair, from the other side of the lake. I wanted you to see how the trees shade the paths and help provide such a fantastic setting for this event. If you haven’t gone to this fair in the past, I highly encourage you to check it out next year. It’ll probably be the first weekend in August again, so you can mark it on your calendar now.
Also coming up is another yearly event, also outdoors and under the trees: the MN Renaissance Festival! I go for three reasons: I need the laughs, I crave the food and I get to see Delayne of Mayfaire. Heads up folks, it’s coming right up!
Hope you’re where it’s cool and comfortable and enjoying a frosty beverage. I am. –Chris
