“A Mission Statement”

Last Tuesday morning, in the midst of thunder storms and an ever increasing sore throat, I loaded up my art booth panels, paintings, drawings and other stuff in the Tahoe to begin the 600 mile trek to Lubbock, Texas. I was on my way to participate in a three and half-day Lubbock Art Festival. That night, I stayed with my daughter, Karen Duban, and her family who live between Dallas and Denton, Texas. Karen was going with me to Lubbock to help set up and staff my booth in the festival.

So early Wednesday morning, with my sore throat now a full blown head cold, we left for the final 350 miles to Lubbock. On the way we discussed, as much as my sore throat would permit, my search for a mission statement.

I have been giving a lot of thought lately on how to improve the design and layout of my art booth. Recently, in discussing this effort with Kelly Kindred, the Festival Coordinator for The Art Colony Association, she expressed her opinion on the importance of displaying in the booth the artist’s statement or mission. I think she is right and I have been doing a lot of soul searching as to who I am and what I am trying to do with this new adventure of mine into the world of art.

On the way through the ever-changing scenery of the high staked plains of West Texas, we discussed, with my ever hoarser voice, what it is that I am trying to do with my art and how to express it in a sentence or two. We arrived in the early afternoon and after checking into the Radisson Hotel we went to the nearby Lubbock Civic Center and registered. We unloaded the booth panels, paintings, drawings and all the stuff in my assigned 10’ x 10’ corner booth area.

Early Thursday morning, I go down to the hotel lobby to read the newspaper and drink a cup of coffee. As I ask the desk clerk for the newspaper, I discover, much to my dismay, that I have no voice. I can only whisper. This is not good before an art show.

After breakfast, Karen and I go to the Civic Center to set up the booth, hang the paintings and get ready for the opening of the art festival for the VIP showing at 6 PM. It is a very tiring and frustrating endeavor to set up an art booth in and among over one hundred other artist trying to do the same thing. Late in the afternoon we go back to the hotel to clean up and try to be presentable for the VIP Show. Exhausted from setting up the booth and very concerned over having a bad head cold and not having a voice at the start of a 3 ½ day art show, my wife, Corinne, calls from Houston to tell me that The Houston Chronicle had published a nice article on me in their Spring/Klein/Tomball supplement that is published every Thursday.

Slowly, I got my voice back and got through the art festival. However, the downturn in the economy has reached the art festivals. For the artists at the festival who sell “useful” art such as jewelry, they seemed to be doing OK. For the artists, such as me, who sell “decorative” art, the sales were dismal. For a few others and me, there were no sales. We packed up Sunday evening and drove the 350 miles to Karen’s house. I slept a few hours and got up to drive the remaining 250 miles to Houston . For times like these, I definitely need to understand why I need to get up every morning and continue to do what I do.

Upon my return to Houston on Monday, for the first time, I get to read the newspaper article. On the front page of the supplement, I come under a section titled “FACES IN THE CROWD.” The editor summarizes who I am with the statement “Spring artist focuses on nature: Spring resident Acree Carlisle has a passion for nature. His favorite subjects include landscapes and wildlife” and there is a photograph, by Jerry Baker, of me painting the watercolor painting of a cougar overlooking a valley in the Davis Mountains . I think the editor got pretty close to what my mission statement should be.

On page Z14, page 5, there is the article written by Valerie Sweeten. I will have to admit, it lifts my spirits to have someone like Valerie write such nice things about me and to have Kelly Kindred and Nancy Wakefield say such complimentary things about me and my art work. To read this is kind of like getting my spirit refueled. I now have a full tank and ready to go again.

A tentative mission statement for me is as follows:

Mission Statement
By Acree Carlisle

“I strive through my drawings, paintings and writings to portray our wild animals, whether in the wild or in refuges, in their most noble and peaceful state to help in their protection, preservation and sustainability.”

What is your reaction to this proposed statement? Do you have any suggestions?

Cheers,

Acree

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