Saturday, September 26, 2009

Second Seating's First Day

The good news is that folks were coming to Second Seating all day long. Jeff Brown, our docent for the very first day estimated about 20 during the morning hours and many said they'd come because of the coverage on ABC Channel 13. And while I was there, a steady stream of people wandered through the exhibition. What's not to love?The girls and I got there just before noon. Caroline and her high school friend Mary T. Anderson went into Irma's for lunch. Caroline asked for the Second Seating Lunch Plate. Must have been the first request and there was some confusion, but I think that little signs on each table will help. The special consists of two of my favorite things from Irma's menu: a spinach enchilada and a chicken mole enchilada with a little salad, beans and rice. It's terrific.Sidebar: Below is a photo montage I made of Caroline and Mary T. for the SiliconStones installation at Houston Center For Photography in 1985. They were probably sophomores in high school when I shot this image on a stretch of beach at South Padre Island. And that means I've been loving the making of installations for 25 years. SiliconStones was the first.I must make a docent schedule for the run of Second Seating. I'm learning what duties docents will have: Windex the glass top table, feather dust the objects on the several others, straightened the wall pieces, water the bedding plants under the silver arches, keep the music playing. I need to buy a counter so we know just how may folks wander around the space each day. Aggie stopped by to wax her table tops. That may be another periodic job for docents.
Must email Ted and Jose and let them know they were really missed on Thursday evening.
It's going to be a big month and a fun month. Here are a couple more photos from opening night. Can't wait to see the hundreds of photos that Laurie will bring. That's Laurie's back and she's busy photographing.
I love seeing the folks in the photo below. Modelle's on the left holding roses that she bought for me and which were such a surprise. Modelle, I couldn't have made it through without you. Then there is Hedy from the Greater East End District who's been in on this grand project since its inception. John is there from The Clorox Company. Clorox is one of the first underwriters sho signed on for Second Seating and has been supportive in every way. Then, there's my high school friend Carl, my brother John, my long time friend Sheila and Spectrum Metal Recycling's Byron Capito and his wife. So, a composite of wonderful people. Multiply that by hundreds and you get a sense of the evening.
Right in front of us all is that gorgeous table that Offenhauser made as a scale replica of the Post Oak Blvd. arches which the company fabricated years ago. We added a flats of bedding plants below the table, because those boulevard arches are perennially surrounded by elaborate arrangements of seasonal flowering plants.

1 comment:

caroline hansen kleban said...

For the record, that photo of Mary T. and I was taken when we were 12 or 13. NO WAY I would have looked like that in high school. :-)