CHRIS ARVIDSON

words and art
 

In the last three months, I've done a series of writing workshops in my area, five in all.  A couple of them have been "ekphrastic" workshops, others used word or story prompts. All have been thankfully well-attended and I've been paid well enough to cover my rent at the Charlotte Art League for the rest of the year. (Still holding out hope that the Art League will continue to get it together and I'll be able to stay on there.) Although I "angst" over preparing these workshops, much like I used to do getting ready to teach classes, they have all gone well. Reviews have been positive. I even set an attendance record for the Charlotte Writers Club workshop. Invitations for more have resulted. So all in all, yay me. :) 

Now I'm turning to getting ready for a one-week residency at Wildacres later this month. Ah, Wildacres. Without a doubt one of my happy places. I've started making little piles of things to take along. Which books, notebooks, pens and paper, notecards, journals, a bag of teas and snacks, all must be thought through and organized and packed then unpacked.Decisions must be made! This is not my first residency there, though it's been since 2018, according to my photo library. What did I learn then that I need to remember for this residency? 

Thankfully I don't need to bring my own sheets and towels this time, don't need to pack those. But I do need to remember that I'm on my own, in my own little cabin, with no car, so no last minute trips to the store for something I've forgotten. Last time, I got a pretty crap cold while I was there and had to make due with the catch-as-catch-can cold medicine they had on hand at the desk. I'll be a little more circumspect with some of those OTC meds this time. And, I'll bring a few snacks for when I'm on a roll and don't want to go to the dining hall for meals -- although honestly, rousting oneself to hidey over there gets your head clear and provides a lovely walk 3x a day through the woods, and adds up 3 miles. Which means maybe once in a while I'll go for that cookie at lunch, or the pie at dinner.

That's the practical stuff to think about. What's more complicated is figuring out which writing projects to work on and what art supplies to bring. Do I write in the mornings and paint in the afternoons? Do I put together the next poetry book, adding and revising what I've got in my stash? Do I paint the cover of that book? Do I bring out that novel? Do I play with those flash essays that might turn into a memoir? Do I submit to those lists I have been building since the beginning of the year? What are the priorities?  I'll be there for a week...  Stay tuned for what ends up happening. 

And if hanging out in a nifty cabin in a glorius mountain setting, by yourself, to work on creative projects sounds like heaven to you, go to the Wildacres website and check out the Residency opportuniies. They have three cabins and run the residencies April though October. It is not an onerous application as these things go, and you don't have to complete any reports or duties if you get one. (wildacres.org) Residency applications open Aug 1 for the 2025 season. 

Here's an update on the Charlotte Art League, where I have a studio and paint several days a week. A new board and officers have been seated. And there's an interim Executive Director, who was with the league a few years ago. She returns with an MPA and some solid non profit experience under her belt, so, yay for that. Those of us who did not bolt are continuing to be hopeful that something can be negotiated that lets us stay where we are. FINGERS CROSSED! 

I continue to do workshops, too, and have one coming in May with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, South Regional Branch this time. If you're able, come on out. The info is to the left here. I did the monthly presentation for the Charlotte Writers Club on Tuesday and it was a blast. Of course, i angst about this stuff and it ends up going great. I told the story of my long strange trip to becoming a poet. The secret is, of course, to prepare, prepare, practice. 

And, of course, it's now BASEBALL.  Been to a couple of Knights games and following the Tigers every day. Spring is good. :)

Things are really up-in-the-air at the Charlotte Art League these days. While I don't have the inside scoop, and honestly don't want to know too much, I can observe that many of the studio artists have moved out of their spaces. I am keeping the faith that the administration, new board, and lawyers can get all this figured out, and I can stay put. CAL is more than a place to put things in shows or display my work, it's my work space, and I am probably the person who spends the most time there doing so. Keep your fingers crossed. It would not be possible for me to find another affordable work space at the moment -- I've looked -- and my condo isn't really the place for a messy painter like me to work, if I can help it. 

In the meantime, I've taught writing workshops for Charlotte Writers Club, Charlotte Lit, Jay Ward's Poet Laureate workshop series, and I've been asked this week to do one for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's south regional branch in May. In April I'm the presenter for the Charlotte Writers Club general meeting, it being poetry month and all. This is what retirement looks like. It's all good. 

Due to unforseen circumstances with the gallery space, I've had to cancel this year's ekphrastic show, scheduled for May. Stay tuned for the next ekphrastic adventure. You know I'll figure out something :)

I've got a piece in the January show at Charlotte Art League. Come out and see my ekphrasitc work "It's Never Just Black and White."

Thene there's Charlotte Writers Club worksbop on Saturday the 13th, and another on Saturday the 20th for Charlotte Lit.

Just now I hit the SEND button on my manuscript for "Nobody Cares What You Think" my first full-length book of poetry, coming not-soon from Finishing Line Press. Pub date is January 10, 2025; presales will start in September. Now, it's really time to start the holidays!

Busy times at Charlotte Art Leaguel... good thing I've been doing some new paintings I'm really pleased with. I'll have a "little" in the Miniatures show opening Friday, Nov 8. Then in December, opening December 8, I'm managing CAL's "Renters Only" show. It's an exhibit featuring the art of studio and wall renters at the League. I'll have two paintings in the Renters Only show as well, including this one, which is oil on board, 11x14". It's titled Arcadia Marsh #5. I hope to get something into the juried Winter Show in December as well. I did several small Fall scenes in Michigan last week when I was there - the color was glorius. So stay tuned for those. 

I'm managing an exhibit at Charlotte Art League for December/January, and another ekphrastic show for May. Hard to believe it, but they are both herding cats and requiring attention, timelines, etc. already!  

The December/January show is called Renter Only and will feature those of us renting wall or studio space at the CAL. We're going to spin things for the holidays by offering instant sales, so lookers can choose hoiday gifts and take them home on the spot, rather than wait until the end of show.

The ekphrastic show for May 2024 is "1+1 = 3" and it will be juried with prizes. I'll be doing a couple of workshops locally in January to get people geared up for it. Stay tuned for more info on that. I'll be hunting people down to participate :). 

Coming off the tail end of pnumonia, I trudged up Pompey's Knob to attend Tablerock Writers at Wildacres again this year. It's hard to call it a workshop frankly. Our poetry leader, the inimitable Phillip Shabazz, doesn't give "homework" while we're there -- he calls it "homefun" and that rings perfectly. You'll not find a better collection of good, solid writers and readers to help move your work along. I wrote some new stuff, workshopped some that I brought, and just generally had an ideal writerly break in a setting ideally suited. 

Wildacres is a happy place for me, and I think for everyone. The only complaint anyone ever has is with the matresses. Ah. Well, it's always something, right? Me, I slept fine with windows open and in a room with a happy roomate who was zonked out enough to not be disturbed by the last vestiges of my sick. 

All hail Tablerock and The Free State of Shabazz. 

It's almost time for Table Rock Writers Workshop at Wildacres. One of my favorite places in the world, Wildacres, hosts Gerogann Eubanks and Donna Campbell's perfect storm of setting, support, and wonderful writers and musicians -- Table Rock Writers. It is an exquisite combination of hard work and yuck-it-up fun. I don't think there's a better anything like it. I have already been thinking and scheming for the last month doing elaborate preparation, figuring out important shit like, which pens, which notebooks, what reading material, do I bring any art supplies, etc. This year might be a bit more tricky for me though because I've managed to contract pnumonia, so I've been down for the count the last couple of weeks. But, a doctor visit today confirms there's no reason I can't go, I just may have to cool my jets some, ditch hiking, and maybe inject some naps into the schedule. WILDACRES OR BUST!