St. Matthew Cathedral Arts
Being in a dry spell, photographically speaking, my wife asked if I’d like to visit a local art exhibit where a coworker’s husband was exhibiting his art. Eager to take photos of something and get out of the funk I was in, we visited St. Matthew Cathedral Arts in East Dallas this weekend for their Sundermann Gallery Third Invitational Multi-Media Exhibition Opening Reception.
It was a small venue filled with patrons, exhibiting artists, and like my wife and me, public viewers. It was a free reception, with free parking, free food to nibble on, and a donation wine bar. All in all, it was a crowded but very nice reception.
Interesting People
Below, Colin Coolidge, a local artist, stands in front of his paintings while chatting with attendees. You can see more of his work on his web site: https://colincoolidge.com/.
There is a great story behind Collin’s painting pictured below. Even though it is not visible in the photo above, of those on display, it was one of my favorites. If you are interested, you can inquire here: https://colincoolidge.com/kachina-ovis, and maybe, if you ask nicely, he’ll tell you the story!
The most interesting person I had the privilege of speaking to at the reception was Paul. He was kind, polite, and even though a little shy, he was engaging. He is also homeless. I asked if I could take his photo, and while he could not understand why I would want it, he willingly agreed. We had a very nice chat, and when I asked about his story, he told me a local lady was writing a book about him. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the author’s name, but he said the book was titled, Homeless, the American Dream, or maybe just The American Dream, he wasn’t sure because the title was changing.
Later, as my wife and I were leaving, we encountered Paul again as he was sitting outside the cathedral on a wooden bench in the shade of a Texas Live Oak. I stopped to take the photo below, and while my wife waited and I fumbled to get my exposure correct, they began to have a lively conversation behind me. Paul said he was originally from California and that he had some family there who were race car drivers but he had not spoken to them in a long time.
I don’t usually engage strangers in conversation, but as soon as I saw Paul, I wanted to stop and talk to him. I’m not really sure why. Maybe it was the way he made eye contact and smiled when we first met. Whatever the reason, it seemed like he was eager to make a connection with someone, so I’m glad I didn’t let the opportunity go by. You never really know about people until you stop and talk to them. Food for thought.
