Kudos again for our gold medal educational booth designer and coordinator Nicky Oberholtzer! This year’s booth was such a success due to having doubled our space, and adding the much needed demonstration booth! Nicky requested not to have the curtains that surround each booth. This allowed an open air feeling that visually made the space larger, and more visible to the public from all sides.

But what made our booth get attention by TEN FOLD, was one of our members sitting at a steel cart, enclosed by Plexiglas, chiseling and filing a stone during exhibit hours. So, instead of just another booth with people walking by, maybe wondering what our booth was about, we had a working carver who got people to stop and watch, with fascination, the carving of stone!

It was thrilling to see people gather, ten or twenty at a time, to watch the demo. They would then carefully touch the sculptures around the perimeter, studying them. And eventually asking questions on what the demo person was doing, and what they were carving. Then they would stroll around to the exhibit area to see the other sculptures, to pick up brochures, and inquire about the association. After several years of participation in this show, I found myself, this year, thinking WOW! By the way, that was the word often blurted out by people just before saying something like, “I had no idea how difficult it was to create a stone sculpture!”

To encourage people to believe that “sculpture” is friendly, and, to see it in a setting other then on pedestals, in a gallery, Nicky designed a living room with a sofa, bookcase, coffee table, and side tables.  This way, people could see that sculpture can go just about any where in their home. The most often heard comment at sculpture exhibits, and one reason for lack of sales, is, “I love it! But I have no idea where to put it.”

The other thing that I was thrilled to see was older adults watching and commenting that they would love to try sculpting, but felt that they were “too old.” Well, I would point over to our ageless, energized, seventy six year old, Nancy Green, or to her white alabaster owl in the roughing out stage, if she was not there, and proudly announce that one’s age should not dictate what we love, or what we might do. Thanks, Nancy, for your participation! You helped put the “WOW” on their lit up faces!

If people were really interested in trying some “hands on,” Nicky would put goggles on them, and let them chisel or file on the stone themselves. This show is a great opportunity to get new members and new symposium attendees: the new life to keep our association going. Even the Garden Master, Cisco, took the time to stop and talk to us with enthusiasm! And hey, we sold a few pieces.

Many, many thanks to all of you who brought sculptures, helped with the set up and take down, and sitting shifts. This could not have been such a success without your energy and commitment! I encourage any of you to get involved with an activity such as this to broaden your experience and to gain respect for what it takes to put such an event together. I hope that you got to see member Rich Hestekind’s designer garden on the main floor. It was beautiful Rich!   Great job to all!