2020 Art Career Ups and other interesting moments...& Covid-19... Things I dont want to forget...
I had picked up some good professional momentum at the end of 2019. Had a great show during the East Austin Studio Tour, sold 4 pieces, had hundreds of people see my art. A week after the EAST show I moved all my art to the Austin Creative Art Center’s Gallery on 6th and West Lynn— I grew up a couple blocks away from the space, it was exciting! I’ve also known the Girls that run the place (Carlyn, her sister Taylor, and their mom Zoe Filtsch) since 8th Grade, I’ve gotten to know them a lot better over the past three months and Its been wonderful rekindling our relationship.
I was featured in Austin Monthly’s “The Makers Issue” in February (first time to see my work in print WHO HOO!) Carlyn Filtsch and I made an appearance on the 91.7 KOOP Austin Artists Show.
My feature in the Makers Issue lead to a massive (massively-needed) sale- Alpine Longhorn. The client emailed me about the piece and set up a time to come visit my studio and see it in person. then backed out the day of. This was the third time in three months that someone had shown genuine interest, then flaked out last minute. Like, i would excitedly tell my wife that someone just told me they were going to come over and buy $10k worth of bead art then back out. Its crushing. She emailed me to re-schedule and I got the feeling that the reason she bailed was because she didn’t want to get stuck in traffic, (If you are not from austin skip the next couple sentences) and I was like- “Look lady, take the new fancy mo-pac toll road, it takes you straight to my exit! but PLEASE just come, make me an offer.
Thursday, February 27th The ACAC hosted my Artist Gallery Reception. It was such an incredible night! The turnout was surprisingly large- the place was packed.
Coincidentally I had the Shakey Graves Red Rocks Guitar in my posession- I had to make some minor repairs. But I knew it was probably the last time I’d see the piece in person so I asked if I could include it in the show. I had a nice little display of the guitar, the poster, the original concept sketch, and a photo from the show.
I had spent all of 2019 making art like a madman, building a collection for a show. I had been mentally pumping myself up to try and get better about self-promotion and pushing my art out into the world. I started going to forums about public art, Coffee-chats at Big Medium, trying to get out there and meet people.
I finally met the owner of the Bale Creek Allen Gallery, Bale Creek Allen at my gallery reception. When I was trying to find a place to show my work for EAST 2019 I wrote him a letter. A couple weeks later it got return-to-sendered… I have been told by ten different people to “talk to Bale”. It was really cool when he showed up at my gallery reception. He invited me to the opening he was having at his gallery the following week (Friday March 6th 2020) A Purgatory of Nuns. The latest collage collection from Julie Speed. Julie is one of the ten people that told me to talk to bale.
A purgatory of nuns-
A week after my first “Gallery opening” My highschool bandmate, Jackson and I went to the opening together. Canopy was totally packed, we went to the alcohol table and each got a cup of whiskey and walked in. Saw a bunch of people I knew, Bale recognized me, said hello, the energy was awesome. It was a fucking party. The highlight of the night was talking to Bob Schneider. I gotta give some background. Bob Schneider is a musician from Austin. When I was in highschool I idolized him, Jackson Idolized him. I used to go see him every tuesday night at Antones when i was a sophomore in high school. Back when you could smoke inside. I was staying out till 130-2 every tuesday night at the age of 15, in a bar, watching this guy play music, I’d come home and wreak of cig smoke. It was totally worth it though. Bob is a mysterious guy, Austin is the smallest big city on earth, I have never seen Bob in public. BUT HE WAS AT THE OPENING- along with being an incredibly versatile musician he’s also a “physical” artist and he has pieces at the BCA gallery.
So I down my cup of whiskey and im feeling confident, I walk up to Bob and introduce myself and started a convo, I didnt hold back, I was a total fanboy, I was really excited to finally speak to BOB! He was totally cool, talked to Jackson and I for 15-20 minutes. At one point in the conversation I asked if I could show him my artwork- I really hate shoving my phone in people’s faces, but you only get to talk to bob once…so I went for it. He took a look and told me that I was working to hard. He said it was cool, but he said that I was working too hard… Ive been chewing and stewing over this conversation for over a month now in social isolation. He said that he recently found a piece of bead art that he made a couple years ago and he offered to give it to me. and he gave me his phone number… Bob fucking schneider, gave traded digits with me.
The following Monday March 9 Rachel and I went to see Lonelyland (Bob’s band) at the Saxon Pub. After the show Bob gave me the art and that was the last social thing we did before the total Covid-19 lockdown…. life, career, art, came to a screeching halt. Its a shame. Things were going pretty good, but now life is on hold while we isolate.
Update 06/03/2020
Well we’re a couple days away from our Third month of Social isolation. It has been pretty rough. I lost my stepdad Joe Priesnitz in April- cancer, not covid. We still have not done a proper service or gathered to celebrate his life. I have a feeling that by the time people are comfortable with social occations again Joe’s passing will be a distant memory in a time that people are trying to put into the rear view mirror. Forgive the pessimism. I vividly remember my moms servise when she lost her battle with cancer. and it really cheered me up at the time. Next, the killing of George Floyd, the GLOBAL reaction, protests, riots, the movements. I got a call from Carlyn- one of the co-owners of the Austin Creative Art Center, she tells me that a store a couple blocks east of the Gallery had been looted by a crew of 13 people in 3 minutes, then vanished without.a trace into the night. She said it would be wise to come pick up my art. Today I packed up and brought everything back home.