Finally . . . . Our trash has been transformed into art

After seven years of walking up and down Main Street, from one end to the other, almost every day, in temperatures from 10 below zero to more than 100, picking up bits and pieces of this and that, we are finally having our exhibit of the art we made from this flotsam and jetsom. And fittingly, this exhibit will be on Main Street at the Rowan County Arts Center. Next Friday from 6-8 pm, we will have the opening reception for "Down on Main Street: Reclamation Art." Including mixed-media pieces made by the two of us, Fannie and Alvin, and photography by our daughter Ari Gibson, the exhibit will last throughout the month of July. On Thursday, July 13, from 6-7 pm, we will also have a reading of "What We Learned From What You Dropped and Lost." In these pieces, some humorous and some serious, we will share with you such things as the most frequently found objects; where on Main Street is a lover's lane; what pieces of a lady's clothing we found quite often (but didn't pick up); a list other things we didn't pick up; the drink of choice in town, at least among those who intentionally or accidentally dropped the lids; and how walking Main Street and picking up the detritus was healing, both physically and emotionally, for both of us. This project has been a labor of love. Initially we just meant to pick up trash. But as we looked at what we found, we relized that each piece told a small piece of Morerhead's story. We both started adult life as newspaper reporters, and although we went on to other careers, we never lost our nose for news. Telling our town's story just came naturally for us and we interpreted things as we found them, enjoying telling each other what this or that meant about this place and time. We saved some things, like a list of things-to-do for a wedding, a dollar bill from Papaw to Nathan, and a ripped-up love letter thrown out with a ripped-up heart and a bunch of broken CDs. "Someday we will make some kind of art out of this," we said, having no idea what that meant. When we had a few boxes full of these archeological finds, we knew we had to learn how to make art. Since we had done collage art when we first got together in 1978, we decided to find out how that art form had changed in the intervening 30-plus years and update our skills. Fast-forward a few years and we have an art exhibit! When we learned about the Fuse the Muse grants, we teamed up with our daughter, Arielle, who is a photographer, and wrote a proposal. We were awarded a grant. She has done photos of Main Street. These, our collages and 3-D pieces, and some guest paintings and photos will be hung July 6 through 31. Come eat, view and listen. . . And learn some things you may not know about Morehead, Kentucky.