I just moved to a new city. I had no connections in the local art scene. Nobody knew me or my work. I had to make contacts from scratch, and I wanted to show my art.
For 30 years I lived near a small town. I opened an art school and had about 25 regular students. I showed my paintings regularly in the local bar, a café and in two galleries in the town. I was surrounded by a vibrant and friendly art scene. I knew I would miss this.
After the move, my first step was to make some new art. I painted mostly plein air of local scenes. I completed 16 pastel paintings and I was ready to show.
I visited all the venues in town and tried to imagine where my work would fit. I checked out government funded galleries, collective galleries, cool bars, including one with a gallery in the back, a restaurant with a gallery, and a store that sold designer furniture. This process was fun. I saw many wonderful initiatives, and viewed the work of local artists.
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