I had a pretty intense day where I felt like I had no break. I actually have had a no break long week. I arrived late to an event held at the John Palmer Art Gallery. On the way there, I realized getting to the Heights during evening traffic is not for the faint at heart. I had no idea the right lane on Heights Blvd was only for bikers, as I usually travel it during off-peak hours. Once I tried to get back in the left lane, the nice (not) drivers wouldn’t let me in. My stress level increased but I stumbled to the door of the gallery, somehow in one piece.
As soon as I made it to the driveway, an overwhelming amount of peace hit me. The closer I got to the door, the more the peaceful energy took over me. I walked in and felt my day completely wash away. We were hosted by Ryan Lindsey who is the business manager and partner of John Palmer.
We first viewed some of the remnants of a recent auction. I instantly fell in love with John’s work. I loved his jockey paintings but what really drew me was a section dedicated to Port of Spain. I actually did a double take because I was thinking..this can’t be MY Port of Spain. It turns out, John took an art/service trip to Trinidad this past June.
We also toured the area where the Escapist Mentorship Program displays their art. What was initially a brainstorm to mentor artists has turned into a one year residency where artists vie for a spot to be mentored by John. The residency supports the craft as an artist but mainly focuses on driving home the escapism philosophy. John provides a foundation for being a successful entrepreneur as an artist dispelling the myth of the starving artist.
I love emerging artists and was drawn immediately to their work. I couldn’t pass the opportunity to snag something from Luke Poteete and Stephanie Gonzalez. I love Scott Tarbox‘s work as well. It was interesting to see how eloquently he transformed his street art style to a hanging work. All of the artists’ work spoke to me. They will have a graduation gala on October 17th followed by a silent auction to benefit Lone Star Veterans on October 18th.
The concept of continually reinventing yourself is what John Palmer is all about. In addition to his traditional art, he is now exploring jewelry and gifts that can be purchased in the gallery or online. I left inspired by John and Ryan. They have allowed their lives to truly reflect escapism. All along the way, they also are not forgetting to help others while on their journey. When ideas and dreams come to them, they are implementing, growing, exploring and turning them into legacies that will live on forever.