Mile High Report Pt. 2

Gather 'round class. It's story time!!

Let's start with a myth... Denver weather must be nicer and cooler than Southern California weather. *BUZZ* WRONG! Artsy Gal and I baked in 95 & 98 degree weather while sitting on asphalt, chalking it up, being *ahem* Artists. Enduring such heat and coming away wanting to do it again is true testament to how much I love Street Painting.

Mishap #1:

The night before, I get to the event location to try and find where we'll be doing our piece. There was only one space that was 8' x 12'. That must be our space! Good location and no cracks in the pavement! Yes!! Wait... Our sponsor is some College for Art & Design? Hmmm... (Know that most "Art" institutions would do their own piece, usually by students.)

I scour the entire area again to look for another 8' x 12' space. Not a one.

The next morning, we checked in and was assigned to the said space. Artsy Gal agreed it was odd that the college didn't do their own piece. Whatever, it's ours! We begin measuring and taping our space when a woman (parent of a student) ask if we were from the college. Uh oh...

Parent: "My daughter's suppose to do a piece with the school, are you sure you guys have the right space?"
Me: "That's what we were assigned."
Parent: "Hmmm..."

Hmmm, is right. I head of to the check-in area and confirmed that A15, indeed, was our space.

Me: "I just doubled checked and this is our space."
Parent: "That's so odd... O....k....."

Artsy Gal and I proceed, marking key sections of the space. Two minutes later, the parent returns with her daughter.

Daughter: "I just talked to the person that paid for the sponsorship and they said for you guys not to draw on the space."
Us: "Oh..."
Daughter: "A bunch of us students are doing our own piece for the school."
Us: "Right..."

We decide to all go back to the check-in counter. Artsy Gal and I collected all the supplies we had laid out, then sighed and heavy-footed toward the counter. Frantic radio transmissions were sent, "Mike to the Artists Check-in area immediately! We need you!"

Mike arrives and admits to no wrong doing and decided to let us stay in our space, while creating a new same-sized space for the college, right next to us. Problem solved! Happy days! Not really...

As we re-lay out or supplies and began working again, we hear talks of:

"Our name shouldn't be over their work."
"Can we get someone to take our name off their space?"

Oh for heaven sake! Mike was called over and he tried to tell them they paid to sponsor 1 space, but now they get to have 2 for the same price. Artsy Gal and I are within earshot of them, so he's trying to be very careful with his words.

Mike: "They're professionals that came from out of state. I'm sure you'll be happy with their work."
College Rep: "I would like our name off their space."
Mike: "You paid for 1 space, and now you get advertisement on 2 spaces!"

Abruptly, I chime in.

Me: "I have no issues with taking their name off. It doesn't matter to me."

A look of relief came over Mike, "Ok, I'll be right back to wash off the name."

Great!

Half an hour goes by, no washy washy. I hear College Rep again, "I'll just go over there and do it. He must have forgotten." I hear others protest, "No, don't go over there. He'll be back soon."

Artsy Gal had had it and took off. She hunted Mike down and ask for him to wash off the freakin' name.

Fun start, eh?

Mishaps #2:

The morning of day 2, we arrive at 6:30am to get a cool morning start. We see security people walking at fast pace, talking.

Security #1: "You'll have to look at it. He did it on purpose."
Security #2: "No way."
Security #1: "There was no reason for him to go that far in."
Security #2: "Sheesh."

Some idiot, who's job was to swap out the porta-potties decided to drive their truck over 20 of the pieces. Back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth. Colorful tire tracks covered such a big area it was sickening. A solid day of heat-exhaustion work, ruined. Owners of some of the pieces broke into tears at the sight.

For whatever the consolation, the driver was fired.

Mishap #3:

At the end of day 2, Artsy Gal completed our piece at 4pm. Covered in chalk and sweat, we smiled ear-to-ear with pride. We peeled off all the edging tape and cleaned up our supplies. Standing around talking to the public, watching people take pictures, saying thanks to compliments.... a motorized wheelchair drives through the center of our piece!!

The crowd let out a collective GASP then utter silence fell. My mouth dropped wide open and Artsy Gal and I stared at each other in total shock. We looked around and everyone was stunned.

Woman, in all white, motorized wheelchair, toddler on lap...

I burst into a disbelief laughter. "OMG, she just drove over our work!!!"

I look back at Artsy Gal and her eyes were filling up with tears. "I *chokes up* can't believe that *pauses* just happened..."

Artsy Gal's husband said it was so shocking no one had time to yell.

Could anyone really? Someone in a wheelchair with a toddler on her lap.

The thought of repairing the damage was too painful, so we left it and had to walk away. The pic you saw on the last post was via the science of Photoshop. Tire marks removed.

Happy News:

During the 2 days, the most asked question by the public was along the lines of:

"Is this a competition?"
"Do you win anything?"
"Do you get prizes?"
"Do you get paid?" (I'd love the day someone commissions us to do this!!)

Artsy Gal and I always responded with a shrug and said we thought there were awards, but we weren't really sure.

Well, well, well would you believe we won something?!?! There was a People's Choice Award, which was voted by the General Public. No, we didn't win that one...

The other seven awards were voted by fellow Artists. Best in Show: 1st, 2nd, 3rd place; Most Whimsical; Best Use of Color; Best Reproduction of an Original Work; Most Likely to be Hung in a Museum.

Guess which one we won?! The last one!

It was really surprising, considering there were well over 75 pieces to vote for. It made the wheelchair incident an hour previous almost forgotten.

I'm convinced it's a ploy to get us to come back next year. It might have just worked.