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| Gretchen in front of one her paintings, currently on exhibit at Etcetera Coffeehouse in LowerTown. |
Gretchen Smith, you are cute, cute, cute, no doubt about it! You've lived all over the place. And you're an amazing artist! How did you get to Paducah?
Thank you! It's a crazy story.
Let's hear it!
Well, first of all, I didn't even know I was an artist until I went to Belize in 1994 for a guest services internship in a hotel. One morning, a famous scientist handed me a bucket of fish and told me he needed drawings of them for a presentation later that day. I'd never drawn anything – I wasn't even a doodler. But I drew the fish for him, and he liked them. In fact, my drawings ended up in an Audubon Society of Belize coloring book!
How funny!
I wanted to explore this talent. So a local artist showed me how to use a paintbrush. I started painting fish and ocean scenes on coconuts, shells and tree barks outside my hut on the beach. Tourists would see me painting, and they'd buy everything! I couldn't paint them fast enough! I must have done hundreds of them.
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| Another of the paintings which can be seen at Etcetera. |
Two and a half years. I had to move to Florida to help care for my great grandmother. My grandmother and I took shifts sitting with her in her home. For me, it was a great gift of time, because there wasn't really anything to do there except paint and hone my skills.
Someone from a local gallery saw my work and asked if I'd like to exhibit it. I was so excited! And then they invited me to teach some classes. I'm good with kids, so I learned how to work with clay and went through some other training. And that's how I started my Christian Art Center and doing all the programs that I continue to offer here in Paducah.
But you made a few more pit stops before Paducah.
Yes, I went to Kenya and Tanzania for a summer missionary trip with my church. My role was to sit outside in a village and paint while the missionaries talked with people. I also worked with kids there on different art and photography projects. It was a key turning point in my life.
How so?
It was the first time that I truly felt that I was an artist, and that I felt accepted as an artist. I felt like it was a calling. And I just didn't want to come back to a 9-to-5 job.
And did you?No, actually I met a man at the Christian Singles group at church, fell in love and married him. He was from Syria, and he was a brilliant mathematician. The first six months were great.
What about the next six months?
Those were not so great! We moved to Al Ain in United Arab Emirates. It's about two hours from Dubai, which is very modern and beautiful. But he reverted to Islam, and I was expected to live in a very different way. I had to walk behind him and wear the covering whenever men were around. It was difficult, to say the least.
How long did you live there?
Four years. I tried to make it work! But we ended up getting divorced and I moved back to Florida in 1997 and reopened my Christian Art Center. I was just getting on my feet when we were hit by four hurricanes. Nobody was buying art or taking art lessons. I needed to move out of the house where I was renting a room. I knew I had to do something.
Wow! What did you do?
I'm a member of Christians in Visual Arts, which has 5,000 members worldwide. I sent an email to the entire group explaining my situation and asking if anyone had any ideas for new opportunities.
Did you get any response?
From one person! One person emailed me back and said, "I think you should check out this link to Paducah, Ky." I thought, "I'm an artist! New York or Milan, yes. But Paducah? Where the heck is Paducah?"
After a few weeks, I thought, well maybe the rest of the group didn't get my email because of the hurricanes. So I sent it out again, and I got one stinking response! It was from that same person, and it said: "I really, really think you should check out Paducah."
Maybe it was someone from Paducah?
Hah! Maybe, and I wanted to know who it was. So I sent an email, but it bounced. To this day, I do not know who sent me that email. I ended up calling some of the artists here, and got a pretty good feeling about it.
Finally I just said, "Fine. God, if you want me to go to Paducah, you get me there. You know how much it costs and how much I have in my bank account." You can only ignore God for so long.
So you think God was steering you to Paducah?
Yes, definitely. Except that when I called moving companies to move my stuff, the price quotes were much more than I could afford. So I really thought that was that until one of the companies called me back to say they had a cancellation, and they would significantly reduce the price if I could have my stuff ready the next morning.
That had to be a sign, right? I talked with a friend about it and she said, "Gretchen, I've never known you to be directly disobedient to God. You told God that if he would get you there, you would go."
So we stayed up all night packing my things, and the movers came at 11 the next morning.
Excellent!
Well, yes, except when they asked me where in Paducah I wanted my stuff delivered! It hit me like a ton of bricks, and I literally collapsed on the ground in a puddle of tears!
Why?
Because I didn't have anywhere for my stuff to go! I hadn't thought that far ahead!
Gretchen!
I know! So my friend called and found a storage unit in Paducah, and they agreed to take my stuff. I followed two weeks later and ended up staying with a friend of a friend while I looked for an apartment.
I found one at the Blakemore in LowerTown, but I couldn't afford it. And that day, I received a check from an anonymous donor from my church back in Florida – it was just enough to cover the first month's rent and deposits for everything.
When was this?
I arrived here November 6. I moved into my place on November 15 and on November 25 I opened my little apartment gallery to the public. I sold a few pieces from LowerTown artist Tracey Buchanan, and that got me on my feet. Then I started teaching classes.
It seemed like I had to take a step every time in order for the next door to open.
Gretchen, that's just wild! And speaking of doors – you own your own now!
Yes, I bought a house last year. I've come a long way!
And you continue to keep going! What are you plans for this summer?
Well, during the May 23, 24 and 25 Lowertown Art and Music Festival, I'll be having my major art exhibit for the year in Mark Palmer's former gallery at the corner of 6th and Harrison. It's called "No Turning Back," and will feature about 40 new pieces of encaustic artwork that I've been working on for nearly nine months. I'll also show "Visions from Scripture," featuring art from my apprentices. I'll have details on my site soon. It will be a fabulous exhibit! I hope everyone will come!
We'll be there! What else do you have going on?
I'm renting a villa in Tuscany for about six to eight weeks, and I'll be doing an exhibit there. Some of my adult students will join me throughout my stay. We'll have some structured art lessons along with plenty of time for folks to do their own thing.
Plus, I'm helping to organize a gallery that's going into a skyscraper in downtown Chicago.
Now what does all that mean for your love life?
I do quite a bit of online dating. Location isn't relevant – obviously, I'm very mobile! I'm talking now with a man who lives in Italy. He works for a major corporation and is interested in helping me with my show there this summer. I'm also conversing with a lawyer in Ghana, which is a place I'm interested in visiting.
For me, online dating is mostly about building friendships. I'm not expecting more than that – but whatever God has, he has.
What kind of person are you hoping to find?
I'll go out with anybody once. I'm six feet tall, but I don't care if he's short, tall, funny looking – whatever. Everyone deserves a chance, if they're interested. I only have one non-negotiable: He has to be a Christian. My faith if so important to me. He doesn't have to be "Joe Church Guy," but he does need to have a relationship with Christ.
Where do you worship?
I go to Four Rivers Church. It's a non-traditional church that meets Sunday mornings at the Executive Inn. Everyone is welcome. You just come in comfortable clothes, grab a cup of coffee, visit with a friendly, eclectic group of worshippers and light a candle while you pray. You can sketch or paint during service and stop the pastor to ask questions at anytime. "Compassion, Acceptance, Truth" is the motto.
That sounds fun! Speaking of fun, what kinds of things do you like to do on dates?Because I'm an artist, often men will want to take me to an art gallery on a date. But we don't have to do the art thing. I'm a fairly social person. I like to go out to dinner with a group of people or to a dinner party. I like football and baseball. I love to go to Nashville, St. Louis and Chicago. I think I just like to do things where I get to know a person and his interests.
Well, Gretchen Smith, you are just fabulous! And you do a great job of promoting your art and your services – and pulling everyone together in such a positive community. Paint on – and pray on – Mz. Smith!
