How I Became a Performance Artist

"Fire and Art" Performance

Jeanne on the left as "The Supplicant", 

Melissa on the right as the "Priestess of Fire"

Some of you ("Is there anybody out there?" - Pink Floyd) may be wondering why I included "performance artist" in my personal information.  Here's the story. 

Last fall (2009) I was talking with Annette Rawlings, the director of our art museum, at an art opening.  Somehow the conversation came around to performance art, and I told her about a movie I had seen, Legal Eagles, with Robert Redford and Debra Winger.  Daryl Hannah plays a performance artist in the movie who does a great bit with fire as her medium.  "That's great!" Annette enthused.  Later, I got an email from her that said something like, "I hope you will be able to do your fire performance at our spring opening."

 I said to myself, "Say what?!"

Then I sent the youtube clip (see www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRNZmdb8w9I ) to her, thinking, "When she sees this, she will know that I don't have the technical expertise or Hollywood pyrotechnic backup to do this." 

So Annette looks at the clip and emails back to me something like, "That's great, can't wait to see it."

"Whoa!"  I say to myself, "No way! Now what do I tell Annette?"  Well, while I'm wondering how to respond, an article appears in our local paper, The Andrews Journal, saying that Jeanne Powell will perform a piece called "Fire and Art" at the spring opening.  I send an email to Annette:

"Hi. I have to say I was a little surprised to see my name in the paper saying I was going to perform "Fire and Art." I actually thought that when you saw the YouTube clip I sent you would realize how complex that particular performance would be (not to mention fire department objections).  However, I'm sure I can come up with something for the opening."

And I did come up with something for the opening.  I enlisted the help of my sister, Melissa Watson - Priestess of Fire, and my friend, Tom Jurekovich - Torch Bearer, and a little Fire Sprite, Savannah Horton, and managed to do a pretty good show.  Film at eleven.

Tom, Savannah and Melissa