The Longer Story
Rick writes:
A dear friend from the UK was visiting with us some months ago. For a special outing, we took her to Newport, RI, to show her the National Museum of American Illustration.
We arrived on a beautiful spring day to find the regal gilded gates to the museum closed. There was a sign next to the gate. As we tried to read it from our car, the gate opened and a car came through from inside. Now I couldn't see the sign. Their car waited for me to move. I waited for their car to move.
I got out of our car and walked over to read the sign. As I approached, the driver asked, "May I help you?"
I explained that we drove down with our friend from the UK just to see the museum and I was checking the sign for the hours.
"I'm sorry. The museum is closed on Saturdays," he said. Then he looked at the woman next to him. Then he looked at me.
"Drive your car inside. We can give you 30 minutes."
Unsuccessfully suppressing a smile, I returned to our car with the news.
30 minutes turned into two hours of private tour and delightful conversation with the owners and founders of the museum, Judy and Laurence Cutler.
In the course of conversation, we told them about Zentangle. That conversation grew into an invitation to speak at the museum's summer lecture series.
We are honored at this opportunity to speak about the Zentangle Method and artform at the National Museum of American Illustrators. This is the best and most poetic location for such a milestone event to occur, because commercial illustrators and Zentangle artists often share a rhyming arc of acceptance.
We are also thrilled to have found two new friends -- a couple who are as delightfully playful and loving towards each other as we are.
We look forward to seeing you there. And if you can't make it Saturday, the next time you are anywhere near Newport, be sure to visit this museum gem.
But do check first to make sure it's open!
|