Janet Kaiser on sat 23 mar 02
We had a youthful string quartet play an exciting and virtuoso
programme at The Chapel of Art last month... They had been playing
together for almost ten years, just recently received great critiques
and acclaim in The Independent, The Guardian and The Telegraph
(widely-read quality national newspapers). "The Smart Quartet".
Everyone in the audience thought: here are four young women who are
going to go places in future years. We are privileged to see them at
the start of their careers. (plus feelings of jealously that they were
so young, beautiful and so very talented... :-)
Backstage I asked which direction they would be taking in the near
future... I was rather shocked to hear that the group were splitting
up. One was off to Salzburg, another Cologne or the Royal College of
Music in London for a fellowship... All good career moves, they
assured me. Except the second fiddle... Although she was fantastic, as
she said to me, "I want to be able to afford Gucci handbags and shoes.
I will never be able to do that as an artist". She has until the
summer to decide, but I guess she will take up that place she's been
offered at law school. (ADD brainy to young, beautiful, talented ...
Double that jealousy! :-)
Priorities... Decisions. We have all made them.
I was interviewed by a Bright Young Thing for our local rag today...
the inevitable "Winner Women" page. At the end of the interview, which
had not started off too well (How long have you worked here?) I was
asked... "And what do you plan to do in the future?". Live? Survive?
Go raving mad? Die in my bed? When the struggle of daily existence or
subsistence is hard upon one, energy levels low, it is very hard to
know what one plans for the future. Does one plan? Or does it just
happen?
And regrets? What about those decisions along the way, which have
brought us to where we are today? The right and wrong turns... The
timing of events... Like when I was down in London for a job interview
in Berlin, the very day I was offered a job in New York. If that phone
call had been four-five hours earlier... Had I not felt beholden to
keep my word and fly out to Berlin the next week... A major crossroads
in my life.
I do know one thing for sure: what we are doing is important and
brings joy to thousands of people. That is our wealth. Not making, but
providing a venue for all The Arts. Music, Literature, Fine Art...
Education and encouragement. What the future holds, I cannot tell, but
it has been an extremely interesting road here.
And what the hell... Gucci probably don't make size 41.5 in EE
fittings anyway!
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art / Capel Celfyddyd
Home of The International Potters' Path
8 Marine Crescent : Criccieth : GB-Wales
URL: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
postbox@the-coa.org.uk
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