hic jacet Sunflower, I

Another Sunflower (whatever) has come and gone. Cursory checking-in speaks well for the event. Speak up & send pictures...

For primary Sunflower venues, organizers rounded up all the usual suspects, the Mountainair Elementary School (MES), the Dr Saul Community Center, and the Shaffer Hotel & Garden.

Mountainair Elementary Community Center, photo by Pike

Shaffer Gate & Garden

In another sense, Broadway and indeed the entire town were venues - Children's Sunflower Art in windows, other sunflower window dressing, Rancho Bonito tours, free lance vendors hither & yon, and Mexican sunflower folk art at Abo Trading, despite, indeed likely contributing to, the absence of a clear focal point (node) to & from which visitor movement patterns would flow. Off-Broadway locations, Shaffer, Rancho Bonito, and Gordon McMath's "critters" (3rd St behind the Shaffer) added interest and Folk Art.

Were local input actually sought, my event logo vote would go for one of Gordon's critters.

MES gym & Retablo Show - no pictures or report other than hearsay that the show was small but attractive. MMAC or rather Bert acting on behalf of MMAC commissioned this year's sunflower retablo cum event logo from retablero Nicolas Otero of Los Lunas.

Sunflower Retablo by Nicolas Otero

Community Center - pictures should be forthcoming soon - described as fun and active. TWENTY hats for the Sunflower Hat Contest - surely you all noticed the abundance of sunflower hats about town... something like 178 visitors to the Van of Enchantment...promising turnout for cook-off with gift baskets for winners and a good time had by all - no doubt many mutterings of "wish I'd entered something" and "next year" - shades of last year's hat contest! Strong ticket sales for the sunflower quilt...sunflower face painting by Joan Page...guitar music by Roberto Morales (anyone else?) and an encouranging amount of sunflower decoration to make up for the (surely expected by now) absence of sunflowers on roadsides and vacant lots...

Winning Sunflower hats - Cindy (2006) & Judy (2005)

In addition to being an exemplar of architectural folk art, the Shaffer hosted the Poets & Writers Picnic at the Gazebo, plus the (new Sunflower event!) ATC (Artists Trading Cards) show and several exhibitors in the Shaffer Pavilion at the back of the garden - fresh cut sunflowers courtesy of Geree, who grew them just for the occasion. The Sunflower Poetry Writing Workshop (Aug 25-26), in its 2nd year was even more of a success this year than last - definitely here to stay. To show their appreciation for being invited to share the Shaffer garden, ATC artists made their version of "poets' garlands" from their original art cards for Dale Harris (organizer), Greg Candela (workshop), featured readers, and Shaffer manager Karen Cate.

ATC & other action at the Shaffer Pavilion

More to come as it hits my mailbox....