Welcome to all our new fans from the Lagrange Show and Facebook and from the Rockmore web site. We are so happy you have joined the Monthly Rockmore update Newsletter.
What a GREAT three day opening extravaganza it was in LaGrange, Georgia with over 200 Rockmore's on display at three different venues. The ULTIMATE highlight was right before the Friday Opening on the way over when Shirley saw the beautiful Rockmore catalog for the first time. She was mesmerized and just kept saying, "this is unbelievable, it is so good." Then we said see who wrote the essay; when she got to her own essay from 2008 she said, "This is the best thing that I could ever imagine and the photos of my works are beautiful, thank you both so much and please thank everyone that made it happen at the opening from me." That made the whole weekend for us before it even started.
Friday night was the big opening at the renovated LaGrange College Lamar Dodd Arts Center presided over by John Lawrence who welcomed us. Shirley Marvin gave a great speech and Rich & Tee welcomed the crowd that had come from near and far (CA, NC, FLA, LA, OH, AL). Rich thanked the folks that put the whole show together and told the long version of how it all came to be as well as the Rockmore story. Then it was a festival of Rockmore folks mixing and mingling with great drinks and food and an after party at the Howard's. This is a link to the Friday Party Picts by Tee Marvin.
Saturday there was a walk through of the exhibitions for the out of town guests and visitors that could not stay for the evening. After the walkthrough it was The Halloween & Chili Festival on the Town Square with hundreds of costumed kids (it all worked well together). Saturday night was the Rockmore Masquerade Party at the LaGrange Art Museum and a fantastic time was had by all. It was packed with costumed fans, the Cajun food and drink were great, and the band played all our favorites (with a zydeco washboard that revelers could wear or play too). No after party was needed! This is a link to the Saturday Party Picts by Tee Marvin.
Sunday was the guest panel lecture with food and drinks and two special guests warmed us up with an original blues Rockmore composition titled, "I should have socked more into Rockmore." The filmed panel session began with Shirley Marvin recounting a few of her favorite Rockmore anecdotes. Then Strefan Fauble, a second generation Rockmore collector from California, told us of his visits with Rockmore when he was a young man and his parents would come to collect works.
Wesley Cochran & Ralph Howard shared their memories of Rockmore and of William L. May of Lagrange. May collected Rockmore in New Orleans starting in 1960 and managed him in 1984-1985 which is how Rockmore had his first show in LaGrange 25 years before this one. Sandra Zahn Oreck managed Rockmore in her gallery for 3 years (80-83) and described that experience in detail. Mary May Impastato, Rockmore's last girlfriend from 85-88 described the best and the most trying parts of being in a relationship with Rockmore. Finally, Wesley Cochran's mom and sister shared their experiences with William May. It was all totally fascinating experience and one day there will be a link to the edited film. This is a link to the Sunday Panel Picts by Tee Marvin.
This GREAT article just came out in the Georgia Magazine about the Rockmore Show and the fantastic group of people in LaGrange that have made all sorts of amazing things happen in the arts. Click on Asst. LAM Curator Maribeth Crocker & Director Ethel Ault to get to the full story.
There is a Cape Cod Opening this week at the Cahoon Museum that will feature a room dedicated to nine of Noel Rockmore's portraits. The opening will be from 5:30-7:00PM this Friday November 11th and Rich & Tee Marvin will be there. On Tuesday November 22nd at 11AM, Rich & Tee Marvin will do a presentation on Noel Rockmore at the Cahoon Museum. It is a GREAT opportunity for our Cape Cod friends to see what it is that we have been working on so hard for the last 5 years!
Shirley Marvin Collection works will be available on eBay for the next two weekends at 10PM Eastern Time. As a special addition to the eBay auction, we will be including a FREE LaGrange Rockmore 80 Page Beautiful Color catalog that we purchased for all of the upcoming eBay winners in the next two weeks.
It feels like the Rockmore momentum is really starting to build and we want to thank you all for being there every step of the way.
Thanks again,
Rich & Tee & Shirley Marvin
The Noel Rockmore Project Team
www.Rockmore.org