To me. Yes, I'm that lame. I'm writing myself a congratulatory post. You see, I won an Arty this past week. If you don't know what an Arty is, don't worry, it's probably because you're one of the many people I know who don't read City Weekly.I must admit, I didn't know I won this award until someone emailed me with "Congratulations!" in the subject line. This email came from someone I met several years ago. He sends me mass emails about three times a week advertising his writing workshops and other things. So normally I delete all his emails because I don't need to know about the next writing workshop or literary reading. And normally I delete all emails with "Congratulations!" in the subject line because they're typically bogus. But coming from this guy, it interested me enough to open it.
He said, "Congratulations on the mention in City Weekly!" I thought, "Huh? Oh, maybe they wrote about the Rio Gallery or something." I knew it was their Artys edition so maybe we got an Arty. I walked on over to the Rio Grande Cafe to pick up a paper, and to my surprise it was me, Laura Durham who got an Arty. (If you click on the image above you can scroll down and read what they wrote about me).
It feels good to get an Arty, especially because I'm not an artist. My Arty was for "Best Artists' Helper". Suddenly an email I received earlier from a friend made sense when he opened with, "How's the city's best helper doing?" I just figured he was trying to butter me up and get me to say yes to the favor he was about to ask of me.
Anyway, I prepared a little speech for I have several people to thank for this award.
I would like to thank my coworkers at the Utah Arts Council. There are few that measure up to the pleasure that is your company. If it weren't for you, I would have run away from this government job a long time ago.
I would also like to thank all the artists who come to the visual arts seminars time and time again for your attention and interest in the boring side of being an artist. Or as City Weekly put it, "not pretty." (I'm still trying to figure out what the pretty side of being an artist is.) Your loyalty motivates me to be your helper.
And of course, thanks to the lovely person out there who nominated me. Although I hear City Weekly handpicks people and organizations who advertise with them, makes up a category they fit into, and then gives them an award as a marketing tactic (that would explain categories that really only apply to one person or organization: i.e. "Best Snake Dancers" or "Best Knocked-up Nun". But that's cool too. If that's the case, thank you to City Weekly for giving the Gallery Stroll a deal on advertising in your paper. And thanks to Kristina who writes the checks to them. I still don't know where all that money comes from and I've stopped asking.
I'm just excited to get a plaque with my name on it.
Oh, Laura you forgot to thank your parents! It is always difficult to remember everyone during your acceptance speech before the music begins playing and people escort you off the stage.
ReplyDeleteYou looked lovely, by the way.
Congrats on your Arty! Will you let me hold it and take my picture with it?
Oh my goodness. How could I forget my parents?
ReplyDeleteThank you to my dad who paid most of my way through college.
And to my mother who taught me everything I know about being a good helper.
And to my uncle John who told me about this job opening in the first place, saving me from drab and demeaning world of temp work.
Wow, you are so impressive. Congratulations to you for all your great work in trying make SLC a hip place. It must be wicked hard work!
ReplyDeleteI got a plaque with my name on it for a speech I wrote* back in the fifth grade...then my dad made a knife handle out of it.
ReplyDelete*By "wrote," I mean my mom did most of it. Consequently, it didn't mean much to me.
kudos.
ReplyDeletethat's way better than when city weekly mentioned me:
http://www.slweekly.com/index.cfm?do=article.details&id=1CCA9610-2BF4-55D0-F1F3E8E0113C2D5A
if you bother to read it, notice they mention that six students were involved. they listed five. i was the one not mentioned. they say my last name only later in the story as if they were referring to me for the second time (but it was just the first). ah well. lame.
Laura! Well done, my friend, well done. I would like to compliment you on the work you do for the gallery stroll. I've only been twice, but I loved it both times.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was famous after the high school yearbook came out my junior year and the index at the back listed like SEVEN pages where my name was listed. But Jon's got me beat with the pseudo-reference in City Weekly. And you've got Jon beat, so bravo.
I got a trohpy once. It was for writing a beautiful song called "Spring Rain" for Reflections.
ReplyDeleteI shall play it for you.
Wait- you could probably play it for yourself cause it was the lamest most repetitive song ever.