First exhibition for Chantal Rioux La Plume Rêveuse

Excitement

Yep! It’s me and my stock in the back of my car! It was with great pleasure and excitement that I did my first exhibition, on August 16 and 17, at the Argenteuil Blues Festival 2019, at Barron Park in Lachute. Two days of pure happiness. I met memorable persons and got a first good experience.

Invitation

Thanks to the invitation and generosity of dynamic artist-painter Marie Lauzon Leelooart, I participated in the visual arts area of this nice blues music festival. The festival has been in existence since 2014 and it was the first year that visual art exhibitors participated.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere was warm. We were bathed in blues music, performed by experienced musicians, as well as young and talented up-and-coming musicians. The people in the organization were really nice. More than a blues festival, there were exhibitors of all kinds in addition to the visual arts area. Soaps, jewelry, sculptor, potter, security agents, bar, hot dog, corn, children’s area, candies and a silent auction, were part of this great party!

Meeting nice people

I met wonderful people including the painter Marie Lauzon Leelooart, the painter Denise Turcotte, the artist photographer Roger Winkler, Véronique Lauzon which makes jewels out of recycled material, the painter Suzanne Jacob and Rachel Guérin, manager of the artisans and the family zone. I had such wonderful discussions with these people during these two days.

Check out Marie Lauzon’s video for an overview of the artists and the atmosphere (in french)!

My booth

For a first booth, I was excited. It was well located. Protected from the sun on Friday, because it was very hot. Protected from the rain on Saturday because it rained part of the day. Some of us had a red shelter, courtesy of the festival. That was very nice to provide us shelter and pannel. Although, when exposing art, a white shelter is preferable to not affect the colors of artwork. My place had a wall 8X4 feet, which allowed me to hang my paintings. I also had a table for my cards and my artworks on paper. I was really happy to participate in this festival and the pleasure was there!

First day

I was very stressed because I did not have a system in place to hang my paintings and I brought a lot of stock (a little too much). At the last minute, I brought some parts and tools that allowed me to do it on the spot. Marie kindly lent me hooks to expose my paintings on the panel. I was able to take the time to settle down, prepare and hang my paintings. It must be said that people arrive later in this kind of event, so I was stressed for nothing in the end.

My neighbor, Denise Turcotte, who makes beautiful paintings, kindly offered me her table because she had her own kiosk setup. I was then able to better organize items on two tables rather than one.

The day went well with visits to my booth, interactions with the public and some sales!

Second day

The second day was very relaxed because it was raining and there were fewer people. With the advice of my colleagues, I reorganized my booth to make it more attractive. I felt so grateful that these experienced people share their tips and opinions with me. I also will be sharing what I have learned with you in another post.

 

Rachel Guérin did an interview about the silent auction. Below, the video made by Marie Lauzon. The interview is in French.

We stayed in the evening because Denise had brought lamps for each of us! What a big heart!

It was a nice day to interact with my colleagues in visual art. I can say that this experience was very rewarding. Click on the link to know 7 lessons learned during this weekend.

Special thanks

I especially thank Marie Lauzon Leelooart (https://leelooart.com) for inviting me to this festival, for the photos as well as for the videos which she makes wonders!

Thanks to Denise Turcotte (maisonledire.com), for her valuable advice and for her artistic sensibility and generosity.

Thanks to Roger Winkler (https://www.facebook.com/roger.winkler) for his humor and captivating anecdotes.

Thanks to Rachel Guérin, manager of the artisans and the family area, for her genuine welcome, her sincere smile and the interview she did with me.

Thanks to the organizers of the Argenteuil festival in blues (https://argenteuilenblues.com/). There will be another blues event on October 4th and 5th in Gore.

Next exhibition

My next exhibition will take place on September 28th and 29th. The Echo-Logic exhibition will be held at Polyvalente Lavigne in Lachute, as part of the Journées de la culture.

To see my artwork, click on the link below!

https://laplumereveuse.com/product-category/artwork/?lang=en

Enjoy the colors of life!

Chantal Rioux