The Obama Volunteer Office held a FREE Grand Opening Celebration on Friday Sept 7th, starting at 5:30PM. The office is located at 200 North Denning Drive in Winter Park right behind the Winter Park Village. I saw police cruiser lights flashing as I drove down Denning towards the event. I figured parking might be a problem so I drove into a Publix parking lot and walked the half mile or so to the event. Sure enough, cars were parked on lawns and all the street parking spots were full.
Tables were set up in the parking lot and musicians were setting up in the performance tent. The John Valeri Quintet began to perform and Miss Jacqueline Jones
sang with them later in the set. I began my sketch by studying an elder man wearing an American Flag shirt. Four food trucks were set up in the back of the lot. As I sketched a dark sinister cloud pushed in from the west. I rushed my line work fearing rain.
There was a deluge. Everyone ran for cover. Most people, including myself, crowded under the performance tent. A large puddle began to form where I was standing so I lifted my art bag off the ground onto a cement curb. I went inside the volunteer offices thinking I might have time for a second sketch. People were pressed tight together. Former Sentinel theater critic Elizabeth Maupin seemed to be working in the office as a volunteer. An acapella quartet broke out in song in the hallway. I had to pick Terry up from the airport so I vetoed the notion of a second sketch. I opened up my little umbrella and braved the walk back to my car.