Tucson Gem Shows --- Day Two

Terrence, Sonny, Tomara, & Terry

Damn, what a day! The promoters just love me at this show, but they don't want other artist with me, even if they we're distant family. They kicked them out. I pleaded their case to no avail, and I was bummed out. I finished the day, making one sale, then I closed up. I had a few ‘bites’ on my large bears, and I think they will nibble some more, and then I'll snag them, reel them and  'close' the sale, all before they know what happened. 'You are the proud owner of an eight inch long soapstone polar bear!' But sadly the influx of cash is immediately going some where, out of your possession, never to be seen again. Bills, debts, or new stone eats up the cash at the beginning! Some artist and vendors are just squeaking by when the Tucson Show opens, it seems they have just enough for morning coffee, just waiting for those sales. So when my friend Terrence had to move out, I was unhappy, I felt bad, the promoters wanted me to stay put, but I had ask my friend & distant relative to move. I felt terrible. It was a good thing other good friends came to the rescue, they are buying my friends art at wholesale or on consignment. At the end of the day... it was 'beer thirty!' Terrence and I went to 'El Minuto Cafe', located near the Tucson Convention Center and had a drink, a plate of 'Cheese Crisp',  'Carne Asata Burros' with a salsa salad, soft shell tacos, and Tortilla & salsa... it was heaven. Then we went to Terry and Bua to visit, started watching 'Ace Ventura Pet Detective', very funny, and then Mags and James Fendenheim (High Times magazine did an article on James entitled 'Getting high on the Rez"... also an IAIA graduate) dropped by to visit. After a while I had another beer, talking Tucson Show 'incidents' of years gone by (I've done the shows since 1985), talking of how we used to stayed up all night, eating late dinners, going to a bar, then ending up at someone's house, miles from the Gem Show, and you start figuring out how you are going to make it back. It seemed we had a lots of stories like that. I don't do that anymore, the mornings are harder if I did. Once in awhile I still see artists or vendors with blood shot eyes, all hung over, drinking coffee, and looking at your art. I felt bad for them. We each had stories of working in New York City, Montreal, Vancouver, Whitehorse, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Washington DC, Europe, and Central America... and of course southeast Alaska.

Sonny is roughing out a sculpture from soapstone

Many years ago, my teacher Simon and myself got stuck in Ketchikan, Alaska with no money! Back then Simon Koonook, who was teaching me soapstone carving, was in charge of the money. He some how spent, lost or just gave away a couple hundred dollars between Juneau and Ketchikan on the ferry. It was 10pm, broke, no place to sleep, we were sitting there at the Ketchikan ferry terminal... and the summer night was finally getting dark. We each started carving sculptures, sitting there on a bench, until we each made a couple sculptures, then we packed ourselves and headed to downtown where an all night cafe was open. On our way to downtown, Simon recognize a gallery owner who was going back to his gallery at midnight at the Sunshine Mall. He invited us in his gallery, and then he presided to buy all of our work. Now we had money, ate a large breakfast at 1am, then called around to find a room... they were all booked, I have no idea what's happening in town, and why all the rooms were all taken, but we found one costing almost two hundreds a night... and it had a hot tub. One moment we were broke, stuck some where, then later we were in a hot tub drinking wine, wow, what a contrast. Today is a day like that. After the ‘Ketchikan incident’, I was in charge of the money. Here in Tucson, all of us native artists had stories like that... of just making it in by just a hair. The only thing certain is your ability to make art, just put in your time, crank it out, get the piece complete so you can  sell it. We had so much fun telling funny stories and events that happened in Gem Shows years ago. At some point it’s late so we started getting ready to leave, and James Fendenheim is persuasive, persistent, and talkative... so I’m sunk! At some point, Mags, Jimmie, Terrence, and myself are driving to the dark streets of the ‘Burrio’.... old Tucson, to stop by and visit a friend. It looks dark, but Jimmie knocks at the door loudly for over ten minutes straight, someone finally arrives at the door, and say they were reading a book. Oh yah I thought, they fell asleep with the book on their chest. They invite us in, and another hour goes by as were visiting and telling Gem Show stories, and soon we decide to leave. They wanted to go driving, but no!! Its late, I open up for business in seven hours. I must go home to sleep. We had plans to check out the night life, but that went out the window when James came by. One night with Jimmie is all I can handle. Next week at the show, I’ll be asleep by seven! Tomorrow is day three.