For those of you who follow my blog, you may have noticed a long pause since my last installment. Please excuse my absence. My hiatus was brought about largely by a real need for a break, but more importantly by a desire to focus more of my time to a documentary project which is near and dear to me. Well, things are moving along nicely now, so I am back to writing. I look forward to getting back to one installment a week, or as close as I can muster.
Also during this time I was inspired to sort and re-organize my office. It’s surprising how many items failed to “spark joy” in me, and got turfed. However, equally important was how much interesting material I turned up that I had completely forgotten about, or perhaps never known about. Included in this list is a letter from a Manitoba folk artist named Marya Zajac from Manitoba to my wife Jeanine, along with seventeen photographs of her work. It is dated July 26, 1994. The content refers to an arrangement they had made for Jeanine to take the photos to France to show to potential dealers there. I have the vaguest recollection of this, and when I asked Jeanine about it she recalled that summer 1994 was the timing of her mother’s small stroke, and that when she went to France she was unable to do much more than devote her time to looking after her mother. She did contact a few of the dealers we knew there, but nothing became of it. In looking at the photos, I realized that I wish I had paid better attention to Ms. Zajac’s work at the time, and had pursed representing her here. I think her work is good, and honest, and I’ll bet I could have sold a few to our customers. This being the “high” times when the market was lively, and we were still doing lots of shows and had a large customer base.
Well, hindsight is 20/20, and I was just about to let it lie, and turf the package as a missed opportunity, when I thought better of it. Why not at least google her name to see if I could find any evidence of her. After all the work is strong and she states in the letter that she had “placed some paintings in another gallery, and so things are coming along very nicely.”
Sure enough not only did images of her paintings come up, but one of them linked to an Etsy store named AmpersandEtAl, that is run by Marya’s sister Barbara MacKenzie, and it carries a few of Marya’s prints and original paintings along with Barbara’s craft items. I read the “about” section and it stated
“AmpersandEtAl is owned and operated by me, Barbara Mackenzie and my sister Marya Zajac. We are both self- taught artists, retired from our day jobs and living in a small town in southern Manitoba.” Bingo. I had found the right path.
In the upper right, under a picture of two young girls which I can only imagine was of the sisters when they were young, there is a contact button. I wrote to Barbara explaining the history of my inquiry, and expressed the desire to write about it, and requested their permission to do so. I waited for a reply.
My search for Marya Zajac also led me to a blog written by Barbara MacKenzie called “Art, and Life at the End of the World, becoming an artist.” Bingo, again. Very interesting reading where I learned more about the sisters, and their current situation, and a lot about how Barbara sees the world. Here is a teaser quote.
The Old House at the End of the World
I live at the end of the World. Perhaps that a bit of an overstatement. I live in a town that sits on the border of Canada and the US. My physical world stretches east/west and north but not south. The Canada/US border is the end of my world. Also my age, at 74, I am coming to the end part of my life and therefore my world. I do say that I am going to live another 20 years but who knows what tomorrow will bring. My house is old, built in 1895. Probably one of the oldest houses in town. But its comfortable, paid for and it suits me. The garden is large enough for the dogs to run, but not too large for me to look after.
The town is quiet, which suits me. I moved here 15 years ago, hiding to recuperate from emotional wounds inflicted on me while living in the city. And I have never regretted the move. Well, sometimes when I would like to order take-away, and there is nowhere to order from.
I am self -confident enough to think that I have something to say, and arrogant enough to think that other people will want to hear it.
Some set their hearts on a rocking chair
The better to sleep out their days
I’m looking for a reason to scream and shout
I don’t want to fade away
Chumbawamba
This blog is my way of screaming and shouting. I don’t want to fade away I wish to be heard
What a treat. I like Barbara’s attitude and writing style so I subscribed to her blog. I’ve read all her posts now, and look forward to reading more.
A few days later, I received a note back from Barbara stating that they were pleased to extend the permission to make them a blog subject, and she gave me Marya’s e-mail address to put me in direct contact. I’ve written, and am awaiting a response. I will write again about this when it happens, and more about Marya’s work. In the meantime, I suggest you check out the Etsy store and Barbara’s blog. The links are below.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/AmpersandEtAl?ref=l2-shopheader-name
I admit that I am highly critical of the effect the internet and in particular, the social media has had on society, but in a case like this, were you can search for the writer of a letter written in 1994, and moments later re-establish contact, I’m impressed.
shadflyguy 