Kate's Year to Chair the Art Fair

Way back in August 2011, I was asked by a friend to join the Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair board.  I was told it would be a 6 year commitment, that it would be a lot of work, but that I would love every minute of it.  And all of it was true!  I joined as an exhibitor's assistant for one year (I assisted in recruiting artists to come to our Fair and to instruct them on what they needed to know), then two years as the exhibitor's chair, one year as chair elect (basically watch the chair and learn how to run the Fair), and then this was my big year as Chair.  Next year I will complete my six hears as past chair (basically advise as needed).  

This Fair was a big job - 160 artists filling 174 booth spaces, a Children's Tent with 3000 donated pieces of art, a Community Mural Project, 8 live music acts, 16 food vendors, 2 beer wagons/tents, tens of thousands of attendees, a large Artist Awards and Patron's Party, publicity posters and billboards, and half a dozen media interviews.  This does not include the tiny details the typical attendee thinks about - such as port a potties, wastebasket placement, fire lanes, where to hang sponsor signs, getting the artists properly judged, recruiting volunteers, feeding the artists breakfast, and so much more.  I am so thankful that I had a wonderful team of 28 board of directors that did their jobs so well - their hard work (plus gorgeous weather) made me look good ;)

This is a picture of artist set up day on Friday, May 20.  There are four staggered set up times for the artists to unload their tents and artwork into their assigned spots.  This is a very long day for the artists and for the board members.

Art Fair morning began at 6 a.m. on Saturday, May 21.

As chair, I gave the welcoming address, handed out student awards, and officially opened the Fair.

The winning student artwork that was used for all publicity.

Most of the SOCAF board that worked so hard to make this Fair a huge success (the other members were already hard at work at their stations).

Olivia loves to volunteer inside the Children's Tent assisting younger children with purchasing artwork.  I love this Tent - it is not a place for children to MAKE art, but it is a place for them to learn to APPRECIATE art and purchase authentic artwork for $4-6.  They enter into the Tent without their parents so that they are not influenced in any way while selecting a piece of art that appeals to them.  I love to hear the stories from the kids explaining why they picked the art.

Ethan and one of the art pieces he bought in the Tent.  

After a long, hot day at the Fair, we did a quick clean up and attended the Patron's Party.  This party celebrates the artists by giving out their awards, as well as thanking all of our wonderful sponsors.  I was so happy that the entire family could attend during my chair year!

My role at the party was to welcome the guests, discuss the importance of the Fair, and announce the award winners (my favorite part!).  This is me giving the award to the Best of Show artist, who was stunned!

Day two of the Fair - Sunday, May 22.  Sunday is by far my favorite day of the Fair - it is calmer, most artists are happy from a successful Saturday, and the award ribbons are hung in the tents.  Below is a typical picture of the Art Fair - in headquarters, sitting on the multiple coolers, answering texts.

This Fair is an entire family event!

The finished Community Mural Project.  We invite all ages to paint one of the 300 tiles to complete this project over the 2 days.

One of my jobs as chair was to select the Civic Purchase - a piece of artwork that will then be hung in a public space in Springfield.  A board member and volunteer narrowed it down to 3 pieces, and I then picked which one would win.  

The perk of being chair - the chair gift!  I love my tree sculpture!

Colorful flowers from Joe to celebrate a wonderful year as chair.  He has been so wonderful through this entire experience - volunteering, putting up with the non stop emails and meetings, and recognizing my accomplishment.  

Ethan's 9th Birthday

Ethan's 9th birthday was a complete whirlwind of a day, much like Ethan himself!  Luckily, his 9am baseball game was canceled, so we could have time to open family presents during breakfast.  Ethan wanted a baseball theme party this year.

Our kids always love lots of balloons at their parties!

After a 12:30pm soccer game and a 2pm piano recital, we had a family birthday party for Ethan.  He again requested his favorite grapefruit cake. 

Ethan getting help from Olivia and cousin Nathan while opening his presents.

After his family party, we immediately transitioned into a sleepover birthday party with 11 boys.  Yes, it was as crazy as it sounds.

Good thing we got two ice cream cakes for these boys!

Glow sticks and outdoor fun.

Present opening is always popular with kids.

Ethan requested a real pinata this year.  Joe hung the pinata from a rake and the kids used a wooden baseball bat.  It was a well made pinata since it lasted through all 11 boys before breaking.

We survived Ethan's big day and he celebrated by having fun with the helium.  Happy Birthday Big Man!

Spring Activities

The year continues to fly by so quickly!  We have been busy with so many activities - sports, school, piano, church, family, and more.  

Ethan celebrated his First Communion in April at St. John's Lutheran Church.  We are so proud of him for taking this big step in his life!

Ethan's First Communion banner.  He was to make a banner representing important spiritual meaning for him  - no surprise he focused on love, peace, and life.  (and a big thank you to Grammy for cutting out the pieces!)

In April we went to our first non-spring training Cardinals game.  First of many this summer!

In May, Olivia's school had an art show showcasing all art students' work through the year.  

Yes, we now have a complete drum set.  Ethan plans to start lessons in the fall.

Olivia was awarded Straight A Honor Roll status at her school's Honors Night.  For a girl who was terrified of middle school back in August (the locker combination, the increased homework, the changing of classrooms, etc), I believe that she has proven to herself that she can, in fact, handle the gifted program in her middle school!  We are so proud of her!

Olivia and friends getting ready for the school spring formal.

Ethan continues with his soccer career on the Sharks.  He does an excellent job as a fullback.

Olivia watching Ethan at his soccer game - yes, it was this cold!  The wind at the fields are always insane.

Olivia's scholastic bowl varsity team won state and were recognized at the school board meeting.  This is the first time that her school has ever won state in this competition.  (Olivia was on the JV team as a 6th grader).

Ethan playing summer baseball on the Stealers team.  This year begins kid-pitch games (as opposed to coach pitch), and they can be a bit difficult to watch.  Lots of walks and getting hit by pitches - but we do see improvement being made throughout the season!

Sliding seems to be a favorite of all the players.  Ethan will slide regardless of how close the ball is to his base.  He always has to take off his shoes and socks outside and shake them out before they are allowed into the house!

In May both kids participated in their piano recital and did a great job!

Pool time at grandma and grandpa's house, and this year they bought a fire pit for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows!

Yes, Olivia walks our cat Rogue.  If Rogue had her way, she would be an outdoor cat, but since she has no front claws, she would not last very long.

Spring Break Beyond Spring Training

We did more than just baseball on our Spring Break trip this year - we were able to also get in plenty of beach time and sightseeing.  But, first, we had to get to Florida.  Joe and I decided that it would be a "fun" adventure to drive to Jupiter, FL, since we had never conquered a long road trip before.  Let's just say, it was a one and done.  But, the first picture shows our excitement of starting our trip at 6am - if only we had taken an after picture to show that our excitement had not lasted the entire car ride!

We arrived in Jupiter, FL, late on Easter Sunday.  Olivia absolutely could not go a single day in Florida without sand between her toes, so we took a late night walk on the beach.

There was plenty of beach time after our first baseball game.  During low tide, a fun rock formation would become accessible to explore.

My beautiful Olivia.

Baseball and beach in the same day made for a great day!

Waiting for a yummy dinner at Dune Dog Cafe.

Morning walks on the beach are the best.  The kids gathered a nice shell collection by the end of the vacation.

A fantastic dinner at Food Shack.  The S'Mores Pie was delicious!

After our final baseball game, we explored the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - a very nice but small sanctuary. 

It was chilly, cloudy, and drizzling, but we still managed some beach time!

Our final full day in Florida was all about sightseeing and beach.  At a baseball game, we sat next to a man who told us about a scheduled sea turtle release at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.  We are so happy he told us about this (and that he warned us about arriving very early due to the crowds)!

The turtle was brought down to the beach via ambulance, then carried on a stretcher until about 30 feet from the ocean.  The team then released the turtle, who instinctively made its way to the ocean and swam away.  The entire crowd cheered as the waves took him away.

The Loggerhead Center was part turtle rehab and part turtle education.  For the rehab part, they were very open about the fact that they cannot keep the turtles forever - if improvement is not made on the rescued turtles so they could be released into the wild, then they would be euthanized.  There were about 24 tanks of various sizes around the facility, all full of turtles with various needs.  

Next up we visited the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum.  This was a guided tour up the 100 steps to the top of the lighthouse built in 1860.  It was so incredibly windy at the top - several times I thought that my phone would blow out of my hand!  I am not normally afraid of heights, but this time I was - I pretty much stayed right up against the wall of the lighthouse, walked around the perimeter one time, and then retreated back inside.  Joe and the kids, however, had a great time teasing me about how brave they were by staying close to the fence area and sticking their feet under the railing.

We ended our final day on the beach.  Ethan built an entire sand castle village and we took a long walk down to more rock formations to explore.

On our way home, we spent the night at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo inside of a Pullman Car that had been remodeled into a hotel room.  This experience was also a one and done - the kids loved it, but Joe and I agreed that the cars all needed a major remodel (the bathroom was awful - full of cracks and peeling paint and slanted floors).

The pool stayed open until midnight, so arriving at 10pm still gave the kids plenty of time to swim.  After surviving the Atlanta traffic, they deserved this fun!

Final day of spring break!  After breakfast we explored the hotel grounds before heading back home.

This is the exterior of our Pullman Car hotel room.

We couldn't resist one more side trip to Metropolis to see the Superman statue!