I had to read the invitation three times. A.T. Stephens, the man tasked with building downtown’s Contemporary Art Museum, was inviting me to a friend-raiser. Cool. Can do. But what the ... Crabtree? ... What does the mall have to do with it? ... The friend-raiser is AT THE MALL??? I was flummoxed. I mean, Crabtree’s for food court burritos and Christmas sweaters, right? All well and good, but CAM is a different matter all together. CAM events should be at the home of a NCSU dean or an artist, right? I planned NOT to go to Crabtree.
But then night rolled around and I had some time on my hands, so I made my way to the bright, flat lights of the mall, to the second level, to a comfy new store lined with comfy new clothes. There was A.T. talking up CAM with a bunch of folks I’d seen before. Only some of them were shopping while they listened. All of them had wine or beer. Except for the regular shoppers who had stumbled upon the scene and were intrigued enough to start asking questions. And suddenly, I not only got it ... I loved it!
Yes, yes, bring the idea of contemporary art to Crabtree, to every mall! Yes, bring the plans for downtown projects to the ‘burbs and create new believers. Even better, next time let’s bring actual art pieces (or smart facsimiles).
I didn’t buy anything at that store (though I saw something my wunnerful wife might like come Mother’s Day). Still, I left with something valuable—a reminder of the rush that comes with conquering new territory.
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