A Jubilee and a craft show

Sharing through Sepia Saturday...

The British people are having Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth who has reigned for 70 years. I do remember her coronation in 1953, at least in the children's newspaper that we read at school, The Weekly Reader. There wasn't any television in my home at that time.  

My memory says I must have seen film clips, probably when I went to the Saturday matinee to see cartoon shows, or when news reels were shown before regular movies of the times.

As a child of 10, I was thrilled by the ceremony, the pomp, the costuming! And it's an interesting aside that all 4 of my granddaughters liked playing princess for many years in turn (not at the same time!) I'm not sure that I went through that phase when I was younger...so I'll blame Queen Elizabeth or maybe Walt Disney for my granddaughters' obsessions.

For Sepia Saturday I'll share some old photos about a local event that is  resurging again today...after 2 years cancelation. 

The craft show today is called Art by the Tracks

The  Old Depot

During the last two years, artists and craftspeople have starved, lived homeless lives, depended on families, or found work in some other field. There were many talented people who had relied upon galleries, art shows, craft fairs...the ways they showed the public what they'd created...and hopefully sold a good percentage of them. 

So Art by the Tracks also was canceled. It was a pleasant small show, usually just one day. Lots of talented people would purchase a booth, put up a tent, and perhaps tables, and explain to everyone who asked, what they did in their art. I would usually go as an admirer to this show, perhaps to support the arts and crafts, perhaps to look for friends, and certainly to see what was going on in my little town of Black Mountain NC. I did take part in it for a couple of years when I was still making pottery!

My booth of pottery in the morning sun.

Our booth for the first "Art by the Tracks" (2016) - I shared the space with Cathy Babula. We used to do several shows each year sharing booth spaces. She still is an active potter, selling in several sites around Black Mountain.

The last show had been in 2019 fall. There had also been a spring event that year. HERE and Here are blog posts about some of the vendors at the spring show.  My friend Sarah Vekasi had been one of the main organizers of this event, with the proceeds from the vendor fees going to art programs in local schools. The parent organization is the non profit "Old Depot Association" which is a co-op crafts store year round.  

There are several other events where arts and crafts draw many people who want to have a fun outing and see a variety of goods...one in August is called The Sourwood Arts Festival. At that outdoor venue, many more tents were put up, and more streets were involved...and at least one block had food booths, A children's area offered little rides and games. I don't know what it will be like this year. I'll wait and see!

We're within easy driving distance to the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This Sat. they are having a small craft fair outside. In a few months the Southern Highlands Craft Center will sponsor a big show of crafts indoors at the Cherokee Convention Center.

And just a few miles down the highway (I-40) is Asheville, with its own arts and crafts fairs! There was one just last weekend downtown for Memorial Day. We live in the heart of the pottery making area that is well known all over the country.

Today's quote:

More Albert Einstein quotes:

"Our separation from each other is an optical illusion."

“When something vibrates, the electrons of the entire universe resonate with it. Everything is connected. The greatest tragedy of human existence is the illusion of separateness.”