Creating in our studios, loading up those vans, setting up the tents, meeting the buyers all part of the art fair business all pales beside the wonderful friends we make along the way and the real social network of the artists connecting with the rest of the art fair community and making real friends along the way.
Toni Mann, a potter from Lake Wales, FL, has been part of this group for a long time. She was the instigator and hostess for some amazing parties at the NAIA hosted conferences (I'll never forget the costume prom party held at Winter Park).
Last year Toni was diagnosed with stage 4 colon/liver cancer and not given much of a chance. Since then her many friends have been cheering her along as she had chemotherapy and underwent surgery a few days ago.
When I saw her at Ann Arbor she couldn't wait to show me the wonderful gift created by her friends, this one of a kind necklace full of personal charms made just for her. She went through each charm and told me who made it.
Hope I remember them all: Travis Lindenbaum, Michele Levett, Barbara Umbel, Judy Goskey, Gael Silverblatt -- not doing a very good job here. Can you help me out?
Never doubt that we are fortunate to live these itinerant lives. Now that is a social network!
P.S. If you'd like to send a card:
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Passavant, 9100 Babcock Blvd, Rm 6519, Pittsburgh Pa 15237; or leave a message on her FB page: https://www.facebook.com/toni.t.mann?fref=nf
Comments
The NAIA and Toni as our social chairman really did a wonderful job of connecting artists and show directors. There are probably other professions where people have these opportunities to connect from across the country, but I like to think ours is especially unique. The jewelers mentioned above live in Michigan, Florida, CT, Texas, Indiana ...
This project was conceived and executed by the lovely Sue Brown-Gordon. Other contributors were: Kristin Holeman, Wendy Zoschke, Patricia Karnes, Sharon Donovan, Katrin Wolf, John Gulyas, Kelly Allen, and more jewelers I may have neglected to mention. A presentation box was created by Jon and Pat Hecker, and the necklace was given to Toni at the Coconut Grove Art Festival. To paraphrase Sue Brown-Gordon, if more kids were as fun as Toni, this would be a very happy playground. Toni has been generous in her support and encouragement of her fellow artists. All who know her love her, and are happy to have her on the playground.
What a beautiful gift of sentiment and true friendship. Toni is lucky to have such an amazing network of fellow artists who care about her, I'll visit her FB page.