Joplin has a 1st Thursday art walk.
If you didn't know that, it's probably because you are only aware of the behemoth that has become the 3rd Thursday event. The 'art walk' used to be part of 3rd Thursday but the artists eventually broke away as the monthly event had turned into something completely different from the original intention which was to celebrate and showcase art. Downtown streets were blocked off to make way for bounce houses and bands on flat beds. Businesses were setting up booths and tables to gain exposure, and people were out in droves for the experience, not the art. We used to go to 3rd Thursday every month. We were religious about it. We could barely walk a block without running into someone and stopping to talk for 30 minutes. Eventually, we got tired of the crowds and now we try to avoid the 3rd Thursday events. This month, my book club was meeting downtown for our monthly meeting on the 1st Thursday. I decided to venture out a little early and check out some of the artwork. I went into a couple of art galleries, stocked with the type of art and people you would expect to see in a small town art gallery. Eccentric types who run in the same social circles and crowded shelves of ceramics and pour paintings. The entire 1st Thursday 'event' consisted of a few little art galleries strung out along main street, with doors flung open and very few souls trickling in to appreciate the beauty. On my final stop, I saw Ron Erwin. Ron used to run a vintage store in town called Eccentrix. He is an amazing photographer who owns a building downtown. Usually, a few of his photos are propped up in the windows of the building, and it is closed. It looks as if it is used for storage and that's about it. On First Thursday, this downtown space was transformed into a gallery with handmade flowers, oil paintings, jewelry and many of Ron's photographs. The building was cold, much colder than it was outside, indicating that it had been opened up for one night only. Most of Rons photos are taken in Asia. His work consists of larger-than-life portraits of people in colorful clothing with vibrant lighting and lots of texture. I enjoyed looking at the realistic still life oil paintings and Ron's photographs. I found the most amazing turquoise mosaic necklace pendant on a table filled with handmade jewelry. After making my purchase, the artist working with Ron said that the pendant came from the Himalayas. As I exited the gallery, Ron was standing outside the entrance playing jazz on his clarinet. Traffic on the street zoomed by as the streets don't get barricaded for 1st Thursday. The sidewalk was deserted, except for myself. Something about that moment, made me very emotional. The beauty of the music for an audience of one, in a community where people just don't appreciate how special and beautiful this event truly is. The moment made me sad and happy all at once. Sad that other people are missing out, but happy that I was there to enjoy the serenade.
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Mrs. Mitchell
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