Fixing Journey

Some people call it my masterpiece – it isn't.

Journey, one of the 52 original Horse Fever horses, done
 as  a public art project and auctioned for charities, now stands
at the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala, Florida.

But the full-size fiberglass horse, covered in mosaic and aptly named Journey, was a public art project I did back in 2001, and it has been one of the most talked about pieces of art I have done, I will say that.

Myself and 51 other artists in 2001 were chosen to create our individual forms of artistic expression on fiberglass horses to represent Marion County, Florida, which touts itself as "The Horse Capital Of The World." Most of the horses were uniquely painted, some were covered in tiles, bricks and silver quarters (wry pun...quarter-horse), and, as I was a glass and tile mosaic artist outside my job at the Star-Banner newspaper, I chose mosaics. Most everyone I worked with brought in bits and pieces, which I adhered to the horse.


Journey fell into disrepair about five years ago and was removed from the outdoor statue garden at the Appleton Museum of Art, who was the recipient of this particular horse after the charity auction. Until this week, she had languished in a back store-room, covered in plastic. Then I received a phone call from David Reutter, Registrar of the museum, who was hoping I could give them a quote on cost of repair to the old girl, and I complied, the cost was approved and I made the trip to Ocala, with bags of tile and a tube of silicone in hand.

I met with Patricia Tomlinson, Curator of Exhibitions, and Cindi Morrison, Director, as well as Paul Arthur, Chief Preparator, and they guided me through the maze of doors to the "Blue Room," where Journey stood, free of plastic and ready to be bathed, brushed and adored. Which I gladly did. I used a new form of silicone which would hold up much better to moisture and vibration (I use it on my Art Van, LuLuBelle, www.free-range-van.weebly.com), brought some original tiles I had used on the mosaic, and began the minor restorations that would bring her back to close to the original look I had envisioned for her. Due to a clear-coat malfunction (all of the horses had automotive clear-coat sprayed on them, and that does not fare well over time with ceramic tiles), I could not due a total restoration, but I was happy with the final repairs. I applied a high-gloss tile and grout sealant, which really made her glow.

The emotions I went through while working on her were ten-fold. I relived my days at the Banner, saw some old friends of mine from my working days, and felt the rush of seeing her bring in $80,000. for the Marion Cultural Alliance, as well as other unnamed charities in the area. I cried most of the two days I worked on her, some out of joy and some out of unsettled regrets, but mostly because I was overwhelmed by just seeing her – and people I had worked with – again. I even had to take a break on the first day just to leave the building and get my head straight. I really was that emotional, So much of my life had been spent working in the Star-Banner newsroom, doing graphic design, illustration, writing stories and columns – and it truly did come rushing back as I applied tiles, re-grouted, brushed on sealant.

I was also surprised that the Marion Cultural Alliance was involved in wanting to know if Journey would be back on display, as I felt they had snubbed me, although quite politely, in not including me in their revisitation of the Horse Fever artists from all three incarnations of the art project. Not sure why, and at this point, don't care, but believe me, I have so many people that know me in Marion County, specifically the town in which I was brought up and worked for well over 25 years, that it would not have been hard to locate me, even if I was a stranger to anyone at the MCA. Which, of course, I am not. A good friend of mine, Dru Stewart, had noticed the article about the event and e-mailed me. Other than her e-mail, I would have never known.

When Journey is back on display, I'll take a ride back to Ocala to see her in place. She will most likely be in an area of the Museum that will be publicly accessible at no cost, such as the cafe, so I'm hoping many of my friends will also visit her. It's been a long time coming, and Journey would love to see your faces and feel your adoration. She deserves it. She is art.