from Pittsfield

Last summer I participated in my first sidewalk gallery. I exhibited a wall of polaroids hung on a grid, among other photographs. Surprisingly, the polraoids received the most attention. Here are few I added while walking around the booths looking at other artists' work. How do people respond to art and more generally to new ideas?

A Trip to the Peace Pagoda

On Sunday, we drove to the Peace Pagoda in Leverett. The parking lot was empty except for one other car. We walked up the gravel hill to get to the pagoda. People were taking snapshots with their families under the entrance arch and on the rock bridge over the water. A woman was photographing the goldfish, frogs and salamanders in the bright and shadowed green pond. After an hour or so, the lot was full and so was the area around the pond and rock garden. I watched a man follow my lead on certain shots, positioning himself as I did before taking a picture. His family leaning against rocks and standing in front of prayer flags. I wonder what will happen to the photos he took.