This last week, I was fortunate to be part of an artsy group on an outing, or maybe “adventure” would be a better choice of words. We didn’t paint this week. Instead, we headed to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City to visit the Prix de West exhibit. It did not disappoint!
We wandered through artwork submitted by about 100 artists from across the nation. We spent most of the day exploring each piece, critiquing, studying, and just standing in wonder. I already knew I was in good company with this group of local artists who each possessed a wealth of knowledge in their own right. We talked about depth, design, composition, and so much more. Many of the paintings were meant to be viewed from across the room rather than up close. We got up close! I tried to absorb every bit of knowledge they shared.
But there were a few things I learned about this independent bunch of country ladies.
First of all, I came across a group of preschoolers as they walked through the exhibit. I tried to ask one little girl about their matching T-shirts. She politely put her finger to her lips and shushed me. I guess they had been told to use their quiet voices!
Before this, we had driven up to the entrance and noticed cones blocking the main drive to the front doors. We needed to get one of our ladies closer to the entrance, so we decided to move the cones so we could pull up to the door. It worked really well until we went to unload the rolling walker. Since the driveway was on a hill, that walker decided to start rolling down it. I’m sure it was entertaining to watch four ladies wrangling a runaway walker!
We enjoyed lunch in the museum café. Before entering the exhibit, we tucked our water bottles inside our purses. After spending hours admiring the beautiful artwork, I took a little detour from the group. I got lost while exploring more art and history. My phone rang, and a familiar voice asked, “Where are you?” I made my way back to the front entrance, where I found my ladies sitting and waiting.
They confessed that one of them had pulled out her water bottle, at which point a very nice museum employee kindly explained that no food or drinks were allowed in the exhibit area. I…I…I wondered if I should have stayed with that preschool group.
While our designated driver went to retrieve the vehicle, we had to move the cones again so the truck could pull up the hill. Everything went smoothly as we loaded our 89-year-old friend and tucked the walker into the back.
Remember that nice man? Well, he reappeared.
He certainly earned his paycheck that day. We were gently reprimanded for moving the cones. He explained that we should have simply asked him for help. I couldn’t help but think, “Sir, this bunch doesn’t ask for help when they’re perfectly capable of doing it themselves!”
Of course, we even had one lady hiding in the bushes, waiting to move the cones back after our getaway.
So, if you ever visit the museum and need to unload someone at the front door, make sure you find the nice man. Tell him a bunch of country ladies said he’d be happy to help you.
You can take the country ladies to the big city, but you can’t take the country out of the ladies.
We drove home filled with inspiration to paint, wonderful memories, and just a few mischievous adventures.
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