Happenstance or happening?

In May of 2010, I was returning a rental car to the Zip Car lot two blocks from my apartment. I had just come back from a wedding in Vermont. It was evening as I was pulling the car into the garage and I noticed there was an art gallery next to the space and my curiosity was piqued. I walked by the space on my way home, but the space was locked up and there was no information outside the building indicating hours or anything else. I shrugged my shoulders, let out an internal "hmph" and kept walking. Over the last year and a half, I've walked by the space numerous times, but ironically, never when the space was open.

I bring this up because I was having a conversation about this very space to friends of mine at a dinner party back in early November.  I was talking about how I really wanted to check out that gallery two blocks from my apartment as it seemed like the kind of space that would be approachable in regard to showing our work or to perhaps have a group show there. This is the very conversation that sparked my interest in seeking out a space on my own and the reason I started writing my blog again.

Flash forward a month later to early December when I received an invite to a show called ArtQuake from an artist I know from graduate school.  We've kept in touch via Facebook and when she invited me to the event, I noticed the address was in fact the gallery two blocks from my apartment.  Happenstance or happening? Is this the time delay from the Universe? One month? Well, what ever it is, it opened the door for me to check out the space.

Needless to say, I went to the opening. My friend's work was as beautiful as ever and the space itself perfect in my eyes.  It's a community based gallery, supporting local and under exposed artists.  They have an artist's residency in the summer, in between the regularly scheduled programs, giving artists the opportunity propose and curate their own temporary shows allowing the local community to participate in hands-on art experiences.

I stayed for a while, signed my name on the list, and have all the information I need to get myself started on exploring this space a possibility. Next step: taking a walk over there with my business card in hand, with all the information they will need to sign me up for a show.