Thought I would end 2014 on a very optimistic note.
Everybody dreams of selling out completely at a show and going home with an empty van.
It used to happen to some lucky people awhile back.
It was called, "Getting Moe-ed."
Read on, and enjoy. Who knows, maybe there is another Moe out there for us in 2015.
GETTING MOE-ED
Once upon a time in America artists used to make mucho dinero at outdoor art shows.
Especially during the "Miami Vice Era in the 1980's."
In Miami, one could get a little high just off the residue on $100 bills. This happened at shows like the Original Las Olas Museum Show, Coconut Grove, Beaux Arts and many large art venues along the eastern seaboard all the way up to Virginia Beach and beyond.
People were in very acquisitive modes. Patrons snapped up multiple items from artists' booth.
One guy,in particular, was the Legendary Moe.
If he liked your work, he would buy out your entire booth. He'd pull out a wad of $100 bills, large enough to choke an alligator. And then walk away chuckling to himself. Later, an assistant would show up to take delivery of the art.
I know this for sure, because it happened to my neighbor at a Miami show.
Ask around, other old-timers have such memories too. Heck, maybe some some of them will drop a quip onto the end of this blog in comments.
(Now, let us hold our breaths for about a minute or two and see if this really happens--one can only dream.)
So, I will tell you about the time with my neighbor, I was at the Grove show, must of been around 1985.
As was usual, there was lots of buying energy going on. And, we all had our dreams. In fact that morn before show opening, I said to my neighbor, a very fine printmaker, "Wouldn't it be great to get "Moe-ed?"
He just looked at me and grinned, "Sure."
Naturally I was pulling for me to get Moe-d. But if that didn't happen I was pulling for my neighbor next.
In a short while, we both noticed this big old bushy-bearded guy in blue-striped overalls ambling our way. No shirt, hairy armpits, heck, hairy everywhere. Had a short cap on backwards.
I said t myself,"H-mmmm, that could be Moe, or not.
Had never really seen him before, but sure heard a lot about him. He was a regular modern folk legend on the circuit.
I had only been doing mostly the smaller shows at this time. Getting into one of the biggies like the Grove was a new experience. I had big dreams, even ambitions.
He ambled into my booth and checked out my imagery. At that time, I was doing color images of art deco hotels and diners. Lots of jazzy neons lit up on the buildings at twilight. They were real eye-catching--and shazam! They were sellers.
Anyways bushy-beard spent a long time in my booth, I could almost feel the fish getting ready to take the bait, drag that bobber underwater and fork over some big granola to yours truly.
Not.
He thanked me, told me how much he loved it and walked away.
Now he ambled into my neighbor's booth, looked around rather quickly, and exclaimed in an
amber-scented drawl, "I like them, pardner, I'm going to take them all."
My neighbor almost swooned on the spot, but quickly regained necessary composure. I think Moe's big wad of bills did it.
Moe reached into his bib overalls and pulled out an outrageous wad of money. I had never seen that much cash in my life.
I tip-toed close to his booth trying to get a sniff. I just wanted to smell that much money. I figured the smell would ready me for the next Moe ever to come into my life.
Moe knew he had us all transfixed with that cash. He grinned from ear to ear. Let out a loud laugh and said, "Well, pardner, did I make your day?"
My neighbor just grinned and grinned. And, he had the good presence of mind to quip,"Will ya be eating them here, or should I wrap them to go?"
Moe just roared with absolute delight.
"I'll have my assistant come around later and get them. I got more things to see and buy."
And then he walked away.
That was the only time I ever saw him at an art show.
But, I did meet him years later at a party--at his house.
I had an old traveling buddy, Larry Lackey, a fun-loving jeweler from West Virginia.
We had met years earlier when I did my first Boston Mills show ( and no, it is not in Massachusetts, it is in Ohio).
Larry and I were neighbors. It was 10:30 AM on a slow Saturday morning at the show. He heard me rip off a pop-top of a Budweiser. He grinned big time. He said, "Nails, you and I are gonna be good neighbors." And we were for over a decade until he retired from the biz.
Anyways, one time I am visiting him up in Bluefield, West Virginia and he says, "Nails, put on your best aloha shirt, cause we are going to a very special party tonite over in Virginia."
I yelled back,"Are they going to have any good tequila there?"
"Hell yes--Nails--there will be enough tequila there to kill ya."
"I'm in big boy." And off we went.
We arrived at this fancy condo, a very large one. And there were people I knew from the circuit, and many I didn't know from the circuit. Food and booze everywhere. There was art everywhere. Hanging, stacked on the floor, heck even pile high in all the closets.
I told Larry,"This guy loves art and more. He has to possess it, not necessarily look at it every day."
"You betcha, bubba."
Then Larry grinned big time. You know who's place this is?"
"Nope", I said, "But I sure like his taste in tequila."
Larry laughed.
"It's Moe's place."
"Sh---it!" Are you kidding me?
"Nope, Nails, it's his place."
We had one hell of a time, crashed there for the night.
Well, I never saw Moe again. In fact most of us on the circuit never saw him again. He became a real Urban Legend.
But, in his time, he gave us all hope.
"God, I hope I get Moe-d today."
Well, that's my story. Hope it gave you all a good chuckle. And who knows if there isn't another Moe around the corner in 2015.
Jump in with comments if any of you had run-ins with Moe. Spread the cheer around for the New Year.
God bless, everyone. Have a great New Years and lets start off cooking hot in 2015.
Aloha, Nels--or as Larry would say, "Nails."
Timonium, MD (outside Baltimore)
$2,500 in cash merit awards
