Party?

[I'm assistant director at the Mandan Art Association Gallery. Below is my accounting of our first art opening since I came on board.]

Carrie Fisher once wrote that the saddest two words in the English language are “what party?”

If you missed the Jescia Hoffman reception on November 12 at the Mandan Art Association Gallery, you well should be mouthing those very words this morning. It was great fun: live music, fresh baked goods, cool people, interesting banter, and fantastic art. Allow me to rub it in:

Live music: The Three Amigos (Buck, John, and Tabitha) kept the guitar, fiddle, mando music going all evening. Tabitha at just 15 is already a blossoming singer, songwriter, and musician. Think Nora Jones, but with a fiddle.

Fresh baked goods: Typically, art opening food is cheese, crackers, vegetables, dip. Wholesome and healthy. But for this event, Jescia’s mother brought  several trays of cookies, breads, baklava, brownies, and bars. As you might imagine, we have lots of left over celery today.

Cool people:  Association member Rena Mehlhoff was there. She happened to mention that she has just  joined a local roller derby team.  She said she’s doing it for the exercise. Yes, her mother knows. In fact, her mother tells me Rena is trying to recruit her sister into the rink with her.

Melhoff wins my most surprising conversation of the party award.

Interesting banter and fantastic art: Besides roller derby talk, I had a pretty good convo about mythology with Jescia. She gets the humor in Ovid, and it often shows in her works.

Now a word for the “what party” crowd:

You’re too late for the party and some of Hoffman’s work has already sold. But the good news is that the gallery will still have her work on display and for sale until Nov. 26.

The other good news is that the Amigos agreed to return and Jescia’s mom has promised another batch of baked goods for the Dec. 10 Wine and Cheese Tasting event.