My first participation in a sculpture show was tough. I will share below what I learned from the experience.

1. Two Sculpture Shows Simultaneously
The Loveland Sculpture Invitational and the Sculpture in the Park were held next to each other. Seasoned artists compared the pros and cons of each before they applied for the booth. The Loveland Sculpture Invitation, in which I took part, required a large fee, $570 for me, and no commission. The other charged around $100 for the booth fee, but they would take 30% commission from the sales. The first gives you a 10'x10' space, and you're free to display your items any way you want. The booth space in the Sculpture in the Park is 8'x8'. You are allowed to bring in only 16 pieces. You can display 8 pieces at a time on pedestals that the show provides. Once you're juried into the Loveland Sculpture Invitational, you're automatically invited to the show in the subsequent years. It is tougher in the other show. Unless you make more than $6000, your application has to go through a jury selection again. If you're a bronze sculptor, you will probably want to be in the Loveland Sculpture Invitational. Most of the sculptures displayed there were bronze, and people generally went to see them. If your medium is not bronze, you may do better in the Sculpture in the Park, which showed wide varieties of artworks.

2. Sales in general were bad this year.
Those. who usually sell out, did not. Some did not even make the expenses. I barely made enough by selling lots of inexpensive functional ware. The change of management seemed to be the biggest influence. A seasoned artist told me the show used to be packed with people. They had been lined back to back in the aisles. That never happened this year. Rain, which we had every day, also chased the customers out, as they did not want to get wet walking from tent to tent.

3. Moral Support from Fellow Artists
Artists came around to chat with me when the show was slow. They did not linger when customers were around. I did the same. Two best advices I received from the fellow artists are:

• Don't get disappointed even if I do not sell well this year. As my art is unique, it will take a few years to establish clientele.
  
• Act confidently even if I have to fake it. People could see that I was not confident of my works. Boy, this is the most difficult assignment I have to tackle if I am going to try a show again.
  

While a young American was enjoying himself in Zapatista country in Mexico, his friend was worried about his safety. She told me, “He can be kidnapped for ransom. It has happened there.” A comment on the young man’s Facebook page also said, “Zapatistas are known to kidnap gringos.”

Is it true, or is it influenced by propaganda?

I googled the Zapatista. They are revolutionary leftists, who have been seeking indigenous control over the land. Their major weapons are mass media and the Internet. I could not find any record linking kidnapers to the group. According to an article on the Christian Science Monitor, criminal activity, if they dare mix themselves in, could only jeopardize their meager existence because it would give the Mexican government a reason to attack them.

It is true that abductions of foreigners have soared in Mexico in recent years, and tourists should be cautious there. However, I believe that Zapatistas should not be blamed for it. Moreover, we should not assume what they do, based on what little we know of them.

When the young man returned to South Dakota, he told me, “They are sad, sad people.” Who would not be in the land where little ones die from curable diseases almost every day?

To know more about Zapatistas, watch A Place Called Chiapas.

How can we build a community where people feel comfortable asking and offering help to one another? I haven’t yet found it, but l feel fortunate that I was able to foster friendships with a few people to a degree that we are overcoming our hesitancy to ask. This is, to me, the very beginning of a community building that I dream to be part of.

When I was repainting the exterior of my house recently, my 75-year-old friend Ann called me and said she would come to help me. I did not think she could, as her gait was unsteady and her hands were shaky. Despite that, she showed up next day with a pot of soup to share with my helpers. Several years ago, when she had stained her deck, I had gathered my friends and gone to help her. As she remembered it, she wanted to reciprocate to me however small her contribution might be.

Gary, another friend of mine, had 3 days off from his seasonal work in Montana and returned home on the weekend I started my painting project. Initially I declined his offer of assist, as I wanted him to spend time with his wife Bjo. However, Bjo replied, “We will spend time together helping you.”

My chance to return them a favor came when heavy rain we had a month ago flooded their basement. Gary was back in Montana, and I was in the middle of my painting project. Of course, I put the project aside and went to clean the basement.

I believe in interdependent relationships. The exchanges of labor I mentioned above are a minor aspect of such relationships, but love, respect and trust that we have developed toward each other mean the whole world to me. I feel rich just to know I am blessed with such friends.