A Surprise Exhibit

Back in April, James told me that he had a surprise for me all the way out in August. Baffled, I couldn't begin to guess what kind of surprise must take place in the month of August, or what would take so long to arrange that he needed months to prepare. Of course, I was incredibly shy about it, but I did spend the next few months trying to ask questions. As the weekend approached, he told me we would be going to Cooperstown to be with my family. A safe place. A place where I feel like myself and feel happy.

But, I still had no clue what he was planning. 

That morning, my aunt brought me to help clean up some wedding stuff for my sister. My mom shared that my aunt also wanted to stop by Cooperstown Crafts, and then I would meet James at the Lake Front for the surprise.

Would we be going on a boat?
A picnic? Kayaking? He did pick out a dress for me to wear… 

We ran around doing our errands. I bought a pair of pretty pink earrings at Cooperstown Crafts, and turned around to see James. He had the biggest grin on his face, clearly full of excitement. Grabbing my hand, he walked me to Cooperstown CoWorks - a place owned by a friend, but I hadn't yet been able to visit. I squinted my eyes, confusion growing.

Was this the surprise? What about the lake? What could this surprise be if it was located in a space for remote workers to have an out-of-home office? As we walked through CoWorks, I felt his joyous energy growing - eyes on my face. This was most certainly it. This is what he had been waiting for…

He led me to a large curtain and pulled it back.

At first, I only saw three paintings.

They were birds I had painted on canvas - one for my grandma, and two for my parents. All of which had been hanging in my parent’s great room for years…

Why on earth were they here?

As my eyes began to search, I saw a line of black frames. Each frame held one of my illustrations, and without question they were the originals. Pen and Indian Ink, this art dated all the way back to when my creative spark returned to me after college. 

I couldn't think, breathe or speak. I was shocked.

James had arranged an exhibit of my original illustrations. Somehow, he found all of my originals and framed them without me knowing. Not only did he frame them, but he had matted them perfectly.

Before my shock could lessen, I felt the presence of others in the room. My friends and family from all over the north-east began to approach me with big smiles, laughter and hugs. As the shock lessened, they revealed the story of James planning this incredible surprise.

They shared that James had reached out to our friend Dan for help. Dan was the perfect person for the job, having worked with me at the Smithy Art Gallery. Together with Eric and Poppy (my father-in-law), Dan and James spent the morning curating the art and arranging the furniture to look like an art gallery. It was incredible! 

I couldn't believe that all my closest family and friends had known about this for months, and none of them even remotely spilled the secret. I cannot believe that James found all my original illustrations and figured out how to frame them. There is no multiverse where I could have guessed that this was my surprise. 

This was all a first for me - to be on display like this.

At some point, boxes of my prints appeared. It became a fun opportunity to share the stories of each individual piece framed on the walls and and of each print pulled from the boxes. I was able to answer questions about my inspiration and style. It was a chance to recognize and share that each illustration is a piece of me. I can tell you where I was sitting, and in most cases, what I had been listening to as I created. It was such a reminder of what I am capable of, and what makes me the happiest. It was also a reminder of old styles and mediums that I could now bring into my current creations!

I still cannot believe that James even thought to do something like this. It's an gesture from a fairy tale, or a Hallmark movie, an unreal expression of love. The idea that he believed in my art so much that he took hours of his time to arrange everything without me knowing. His generosity is beyond, beyond… I am still reeling from this incredibly special moment in our lives. 

During the exhibit, where my mouth remained open in shock, my Dad came up to me with tears in his eyes. His gratitude for James hardly needed to be said. This gesture impacted more than just me, and it allowed my family to see the relationship that James and I have, the value of art in our lives, and how much James cares for and loves both things.

James is an incredible man.
The magic of this day will remain with me forever. 

I am still completely speechless. While the gratitude is deep in my heart, I still struggle to find the words to explain my vast and unreal feelings that this surprise brought me. This post is my attempt to show him what is meant, and how grateful I am for him.

It's amazing to realize and understand how you are loved.
Thank you, thank you, my love. I adore you!