Anne Nordhaus-Bike posing in exhibit booth in front of her framed watercolors with logo sign above.

Fine Art Expo Photo Album-See Behind The Scenes

We did it!

My booth at the West Loop Contemporary Fine Art Expo was a wonderful success, showing off a full array of my colorful watercolors in a beautiful setting.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Booth 7 over the Art Expo's three days. It was a joy to welcome a continual stream of friends and other art lovers eager to immerse themselves in art and color.

Behind The Scenes: Setting Up, Help From Friends

I'm so thankful we were able to participate in this event. 

We are fortunate to live in Chicago, where the expo took place, because so many friends stepped in to help us achieve the vision I've had for this show:

  • One helped with transport, driving many boxes of carefully framed and wrapped paintings from my studio to the exhibit hall.
  • Another helped Bill lift the boxes in and out of the transport van, getting them onto wheeled carts and up to the exhibition hall. He also helped us unpack the paintings and install my booth the day before the opening reception.
  • Another friend joined us in the booth on opening night and the next day, helping greet visitors and answer questions.
  • Yet another came at the end of the last day, bringing the count that evening to five: Bill, me, and three friends who helped pack up paintings, carry boxes to the transport van, bring the art, table, and all other items back to my studio, and carry everything back inside.

Here is one of our pals on installation day, just before we started hanging paintings, signs, and labels:

Man standing in an exhibit hall with cardboard boxes, furniture, and white booth walls.

Here's Bill, after we got my "Anne" booth sign and the first few paintings up: 

Man standing in front of display with framed artwork and a table, with "Anne Nordhaus-Bike" branding.

Walls Transformed: Art Everywhere

Here is one of the outer walls, with all the paintings up for my special Halloween/Day Of The Dead display:

Art display with framed artworks on a white backdrop labeled "Halloween / Day Of The Dead."

And here's the other outer wall, where we installed the "powder room" paintings, wonderful vintage pieces I selected "from the vault" for this exhibition:

Framed watercolors with colorful frames on white wall with descriptive sign.

Flowers And Landscapes Take Center Stage

Inside the booth, my colorful flowers on handmade Asian paper took center stage, along with a selection of Colorful Horizons landscapes:

Booth in exhibition hall with framed watercolors on wall and table with art installation supplies.

Here's another view, showing the third wall (at right) within the main booth:

Exhibition booth with framed watercolors and a table with installation tools on it.

We were so fortunate that Booth 7 was ready almost as soon as we arrived last Thursday for setup. That meant we could finish the entire installation that afternoon - and rest the next day before the evening opening.

Waiting For Opening Reception To Begin

We made sure to arrive early on Friday night, before the reception began.

It's a special moment, in the quiet of a huge exhibition hall, when all the booths are ready and the artists are there. It's the peaceful interlude before visitors stream in and the aisles fill with people having lively conversations with artists.

We made some final adjustments to Booth 7, and then I strolled the floor to check out the other booths and chat with some of the artists. 

Here's a view Bill took after my stroll - if you look closely all the way in the distance, you can see me sitting in Booth 7 beneath the "Anne Nordhaus-Bike Art" sign:

Exhibition hall filled with artists' booths displaying framed paintings, with person viewing art.

Bird's Eye View: Art Expo Exhibit Hall

Also, Bill took this wonderful bird's eye view of the exhibit hall. I love how it shows the "all is in readiness" essence of an art fair before the doors open to the public:

Panorama view of large art exhibition hall filled with artists' booths displaying framed paintings.

The Triumph

And here we are, Bill and I, as things got rolling at the opening reception:

Two people standing in booth at art expo with colorful framed watercolors on the wall.

It was a spectacular experience, a triumph of my art career and my life in general.

We hadn't installed such a large number of my paintings since one of my major solo shows seven years ago, and we learned we can still do it - with help from so many wonderful friends.

Also, this experience gave me the gift of seeing my watercolors on display and looking their best. Besides the custom framing and matting for each piece, the  white walls and overhead lighting literally "lit them up" so everyone who entered Booth 7 could see and appreciate all the exquisite details:

  • Carefully chosen watercolor papers, many of them handmade
  • Hand mounting
  • The world's finest watercolor paints
  • Special signatures and seals
  • Custom, museum quality framing - including "float framing" in many cases

Thankfulness As My Vision Comes To Life

I'm so thankful for all the people who made this experience possible, allowing so many visitors to witness the vision I've had for decades come to life in full color.

I think of the trees whose bark transformed into watercolor papers, the skilled paper and paint and brush makers, the people who inspect everything to make sure it's of the highest quality, and the people who pack and ship everything around the world so artists like me can enjoy the fruits of so many people's labor in making art.

I think, too, of the companies that source and sell art materials, the shipping experts who pack, transport, and deliver such treasures to me, and the skilled framers to have gone on a journey (out of their comfort zones at times) to protect my paintings with mats and frames according to the vision I've held about this for so very, very long.

And then there is you, reading this blog post. Thank you.

And all the people who helped prepare the exhibition hall, build my booth, install the lighting, and provide electrical outlets. Plus the ones on site who helped us lift the boxes of paintings and get them to Booth 7.

And the people who organized and worked the show: caterers, cleaners, security personnel, art expo staff, and Plumbers Hall employees. And all the other artists and their family members who were so much fun to meet and spend time with over three days.

Isn't it amazing to consider this chain of help and human kindness?

Show Closes, The Vision-And Love-Remain

The Fine Art Expo may have closed, but the vision of light and color remains.

As does the love so many experienced in seeing my art and visiting with us in Booth 7...and all the love that poured in from everyone who helped make this show possible.

Here's a picture of Bill and me from the end of the show's last day - may its spirit fill your heart with joy:

Couple in booth at art expo with colorful watercolors on the walls

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