The Society of Layerists in Multi-Media national conference in Hays (Oct. 1 to 5) was a winner thanks to the warm hospitality we received from the local residents and nearby communities. There were 40 of us who came from coast-to-coast) to participate in workshops, open studios, a bus trip to Lucas and Victoria, and shared meals and meetings. We have to say, it was one of the best conferences to date.
Some of our past meetings were held in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Austin and Albuquerque so when Hays was suggested, we all were curious as to what this small city could possibly offer our group. To our surprise, we found a community that was rich in history and culture and one that was willing to share unconditionally.
Brenda Meder, Executive Director of the Hays Arts Council, was on board from day one. She provided our organization a perfect gallery space to hold its national art exhibition called “Thereʼs No Place Like Home.” It was nice to meet many local art enthusiasts at the closing reception and to mingle with locals at the Hays High Homecoming Parade. Now, that was an unexpected surprise to view a small town parade in the midst of our planned SLMM activities!
Hays definitely welcomed us in open arms. The artists who had their studios open for us to visit … thanks! We loved seeing the creativity that flows and realize that you donʼt have to live in a big city to be inspired to make art.
Thank you Pam Fellers and the Pottery Works for having us come to your lovely shop for our collage workshop taught by Cal Mahin. The space was perfect with its round tables and big windows. It is nice to know that local businesses are so supportive of artists who have traveled thousands of miles to come to Hays, Kansas.
Fort Hays State University is now on our radar! We had no idea there was this jewel on the plains. We want to thank Leland Powers for providing FHSU shuttle service. Where does one park on a Friday afternoon! Speaking of the workshop, WOW. We loved Toby! We loved scratching and carving the blocks and seeing them cast with molten aluminum as darkness descended on Hays. To make the evening complete, Tobyʼs students fired up the grill and treated us to a picnic style meal. Now this is small town hospitality!
Another FHSU connection we love is Linda Ganstrom. Her keynote presentation outlining the “layers of her life and art” was a perfect way to bring our meeting in Hays to a close. We learned that Hays is home to an artist/teacher who has traveled the world and has contributed in so many ways. It helped us all realize that THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME (the theme of this yearʼs conference).
At every restaurant, at every shop, people were so friendly and made us feel so welcome. We loved every minute of our stay in Hays and thank you for being good examples of what it means to be “connected.”
For those who want to learn more about our organization, our website is www.slmm.org.
Jaleh Etemad, president of SLMM, Tiburon, Calif.