Tilikunundrum

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I decided to get up as early as possible on a Saturday morning to sketch Brian Feldman as he began his eighteen hours of confinement in a stranger’s bathtub, one hour for each year Tilikum the orca has been held captive in a space of comparative size at SeaWorld® Orlando. In a YouTube video, Jean-Michel Cousteau lamented the tragic death of a Sea World® trainer. Perhaps the time has come to stop keeping these beautiful mammals in captivity. Terry and I had the opportunity to see a pod of orcas as they hunted and played off the coast of Washington State. Terry, who grew up in San Diego, loved to watch Shamu perform at SeaWorld®. After seeing orcas in the open ocean, however, she no longer has any desire to see them jump through hoops for fish handouts.

I got to “Sea House®” at about seven in the morning. There were quite a few cars parked in the street outside the home, so I knew I was in the right place. The sun was just beginning to warm up the sky. I knocked once and then opened the front door. I followed the sound of splashing water and made my way to a tiny bathroom where I found Brian’s father sitting on a toilet trying to bring up some YouTube videos of the SeaWorld® Shamu show. Brian was just getting into the tub to begin his performance. On the laptop screen there were two video streams. There was a major problem however, the tub had no stopper! Brian tried to keep the water in the tub by pressing his foot over the drain, but I could hear the water flowing out into the drain. Brian’s father put out a request online for anyone to get a stopper. Brian had to lean forward every few minutes to refill the tub. Once he turned the wrong knob and the shower sprayed down on his head.

After I was halfway finished with my sketch, Lili McDonald arrived at the front door with a brand new tub stopper in hand. She was an instant hero. Brian’s father had to get to work so he said goodbye. Lili took his inglorious seat and took over laptop duty. For the duration of his performance Brian had the bombastic “inspirational” music from the SeaWorld® Shamu show playing in the background. Lilli, who is techno-savvy, set up the YouTube video to play in a loop so the music went uninterrupted. Having to listen to this music over and over again is enough to make any thinking breathing mammal go postal. I applaud Brian for the unconventional way he demonstrated against keeping orcas in captivity.

I later spoke with Mary Hill, who once worked at SeaWorld®. She pointed out how devastated she was by the conditions of the animals kept in captivity. They were treated humanely, but in the wild they have ranges of thousands of miles. Being restricted in an enclosure is hard for any animal. She used to conduct backstage tours for guests. Backstage there is an area where polar bears go when guests are no longer in the park. She told me there was super thick one-way glass which could keep the bears from seeing or smelling handlers. One bear was particularly neurotic. He would pace in a set pattern all day and rub his head up against a fiberglass “rock” until all the fur on his neck was rubbed raw. They would move the “rock” but then he would just reverse his pattern and then rub the fur off somewhere else in the process. She went into work early in the mornings just to sit with her back against the thick glass, and she would meditate and pray for the animal. On the second day of doing this, the bear sat with his back up against the glass where Mary sat. It is as if he knew she was there sending him good will.

The death of the SeaWorld® trainer is tragic and perhaps it will cause this multi-million dollar industry to rethink using orcas as a form of entertainment if only for a moment.

Maupin!

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Elizabeth Maupin was the theater critic for the Orlando Sentinel for 26 years. She decided it was time to leave the paper and start a new chapter in her life. In honor of her final day on the job, Brian Feldman read selected reviews she had written for the Sentinel. This eight hour event was broadcast live on brianfeldman.com, Qik, Vokle and Livestream. Viewers were encouraged to request specific reviews with names and dates of the productions. When I asked Brian if I could sketch this performance, he tried to encourage me to sketch from the comfort of my home. I had to explain that sketching a computer screen didn’t offer the life and vitality that I get when I am sketching places the audience usually doesn’t get to see. On the day of the event he fired off the address. When I arrived I had some trouble seeing the building numbers, but then I spotted his tell-tale mini marquee sign in a ground floor window. Since he was reading all day, he simply left the door open and I slipped in without a sound. I immediately sat down and started sketching. Brian never even turned to see who had entered, he is such a pro.
The space was an amazing twisted technological mess. Wires snaked around the floor and posters and assorted paperwork were hung everywhere. It was ironic that all the audience could see was a single Shakespeare poster behind Brian. That poster was the one note of decorative calm in the storm. Some review requests were also rather ironic. For instance, a request came in to read a review that changed a playwright’s life. He wrote a play and was so excited when it got to the stage. However, Elizabeth’s review was so scathing, that he decided to give up the theater and work in city planning. Many of the reviews were Fringe related. Brian was constantly scanning the multiple screens and windows to bring up reviews and try and keep all the video streams working. This was a nonstop juggling act with many stops and starts.
Elizabeth has just started a new blog titled “Elizabeth Maupin on Theater“, so the next chapter of her life has already begun. The theater community can sigh with relief, since Elizabeth’s voice and opinions will still be heard.

The Swan Boat Talks

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At the start of the new year, Brian Feldman set about meeting with ten different artists to discuss ways in which they could collaborate in the new year. These meeting were held on Lake Eola’s swan boats over the course of a month. I finally had an opportunity to go out and try and sketch one of these meetings when Brian met with Anna McCambridge. I had sketched Anna before when she was working with three other women on an artistic collaboration called “A Confluence” where all of the artists worked on the same paintings together.
It was a cold, brisk day when I got down to Lake Eola. I watched the pigeons cooing and bobbing their heads. If someone walked by, the whole flock would take off and swoop out over the lake and then return once they realized it was safe to do so. A squirrel boldly approached me on the park bench, twitching his nose in annoyance when he realized I had no food. I saw Anna over by a swan’s nest. She was taking photos of the little newly hatched swans that looked like little fur balls with beaks. I hadn’t even noticed the nest, so I walked over to take a look and say hello to Anna. Anna always offers a warm hug, and on a cold day it certainly was appreciated. The small lakeside bar was just opening and Anna asked if they had hot chocolate. We ordered two. Brian, as usual, was late for his own meeting. When we were just about done with our hot chocolates, he wandered over to the dock and put down his miniature marquee.
I explained to him that I planned to paddle out on a second swan boat and follow them around while I sketched. Brian was quick to point out that if I paddled a swan boat alone I would just spin in circles. I needed a co-pilot. Brian and Anna made a few cell phone calls to see if there was anyone nearby who might be willing to paddle. They came up with nothing. Brian then decided to run to the far side of the lake along the path hoping to find someone at the Farmer’s Market who might be up for the task. It was easy to follow his progress since he was wearing his bright orange life vest. On the walk back he found Mark Hackaba, who looked just like a longshoreman with his blue coat, skull cap and gray beard. I suspect Mark was homeless, but what the heck he seemed up to the adventure.
Brian and Anna’s boat seemed to paddle much faster than ours did. It was a constant struggle to stay on the same side of them as they moved around the lake. The wind was blowing hard and would cause our boats to float off course. Mark was a trooper doing his best to keep us on course. I was sketching the whole time while paddling in an attempt to keep up with Brian and Anna. There are plenty of smudges and fingerprints on this sketch as I kept sticking my fingers in the wet paint. Anna was taking video the whole time with her iPhone and Brian stood up once, almost falling overboard to get a shot of me and my deck hand. The sketch might not be worthy of a major museum, but the experience required to get it? Priceless. This may be the most difficult sketch I have ever had to do!

Two Hearts: One Love

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The ride from Hannah Miller’s home to the Orange County Courthouse was a bit nerve-wracking, since the rain just wouldn’t let up. Hannah’s roommate, Caeley, drove Hannah to the courthouse. When they arrived, Caeley didn’t want to leave the car since it was raining so hard. She never did get out of the car, remaining there through the whole wedding ceremony. When I got to the courthouse steps, Hannah was standing in the front entry with a small crowd of men surrounding her, admiring her dress. It was cold, so she said we should all get inside. As she made her way through security, a man complimented her on her dress and asked, “Who is the lucky man?” Hannah replied, “I honestly don’t know him.” She wasn’t lying.
Upstairs in the Marriage License office there was a huge crowd of people all waiting for her arrival. People applauded when she entered. Then we all waited for the groom; notoriously late to his own performances. Couples were escorted periodically into the small room where the wedding ceremonies take place. With everyone talking excitedly, one of the court clerks finally shouted out, “Would you all please quiet down? We are trying to perform some REAL marriages in the next room!” I was wedged up in a tight spot, sketching right next to the door to the ceremony room. Every time the door was opened, I would have to lean to one side since my sketch bag would be hit by the opening door. Whenever a new couple exited the room, our group clapped and cheered. When a new couple would walk into the room, however, everyone was silent. Hannah said, “That is because we were all judging them.” I started to get worried that Hannah might be left at the altar without a groom, but about a half hour late, Brian finally showed up. He apologized saying traffic had been crazy because of the rain. The waiting continued.
Finally, the court clerk called out the names of Hannah and Brian. About 30 people squeezed into the small ceremony room while others crowded in the doorway trying to peek in. I stood on a chair so I could see the couple and sketch.
Logan Donahoo gave away the bride and from this point on it was a traditional ceremony. Hannah struggled with her veil during the beginning of the ceremony and apologized to the clerk. When Brian was asked if he would “Take this woman” he hesitated for the longest time. He finally decided to simply say, “I do.” Jeremy Seghers held the ring which was fashioned from a marriage license that had been denied to a same- sex couple earlier that afternoon. Brian said that the bouquet should be for the same sex couple who were standing at the foreground of all the action. When the ceremony was over, Brian stomped on a plastic cup and people shouted out, “Mazel tov!” Then, Brian and Hannah shook hands and went their separate ways. Hannah of course, returned to her boyfriend Jack Fields, while Brian faced an increasing barrage of interviews from local and national media. Perhaps, someday, love, will be the only criterion for people to join their hearts in marriage.

An Orlando Cinderella Story

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On the morning of Hannah Miller‘s wedding to Brian Feldman, a man she barely knows, I decided to go to Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater to watch her work. She is shown in this sketch high up on the puppeteer platform with Jack Fields. Appropriately, I thought, they were performing Cinderella. Cinderella is, of course, unjustly oppressed and in the end offered a triumphant reward. Her hard work goes unrecognized, until one day she achieves recognition and notoriety, thanks to a handsome Prince.

Today, Hannah would marry a man she doesn’t love to point out the absurdity of laws that prohibit same-sex couples from marrying. In the Cinderella tale, the Prince invites all the young ladies in the land to a ball so he can choose a bride. Brian Feldman invited all the young ladies of Orlando, via Facebook, to the Orange County Courthouse so he could do the same. Hannah was picked to be Brian’s bride thanks to the spinning of an Aquafina water bottle which, if you think about it, really does resemble a glass slipper. As the bottle spun, the light from the dull florescent lights overhead in the marriage license office refracted and shimmered in the multiple facets of the bottle’s tight-waisted form. After the bottle settled on Hannah, she took a sip from the bottle of Aquafina but then hesitated wondering if it might break the spell.

The evil stepmother and the vain and haughty daughters in this modern day fairy tale of course are the legislators and lawyers who allow a law to be on the books that would deny loving same-sex couples from being able to marry. I hope that Brian and Hannah’s brave gesture will bring the issues of equal marriage rights to the all the people in the land.

After the performance of Cinderella was complete, I saw Hannah and Jack embrace for a long time in the dim light on the opposite side of the stage. This was actually the first time I realized they were a couple. Hannah came over and said hello and we talked for a while. She said she never actually manipulates the Cinderella puppet herself. She tends to work the “heavies”, since she is one of the tallest puppeteers in the troupe. She told me all about the fabulous wedding dress she had made from a $12 thrift store purchase. She hot glued pearls and other exotic items to the dress to make it something that even her fairy godmother would have had trouble creating. The bouquet itself was a work of art with rainbow colored flowers emblazoned with colorful gems and a handle of pearls. After finishing my sketch, I thought I would go downtown to listen to Shakespeare’s Sonnets being read. As I exited the Altamonte Mall, The Beatles were singing, “Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been, lives in a dream. Waits at a window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door, who is it for? All the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people where do they all belong?”

Outside it was raining, gray, and cold. So, as I sat in my truck, I called Hannah from my cell phone, and asked if she would mind if I sketched her as she got ready for the wedding. She agreed, and I drove over to her place. I knocked on Hannah’s door and her roommate, Caeley Batten, let me in. She apologized because the heating unit had broken and she was trying to keep the place warm by turning on the electric oven and leaving the door open. I stood by the oven and warmed my hands. When Hannah arrived she asked me to make myself comfortable while she took a shower. She didn’t have much time to get ready, so when I got back to her room, I immediately got to work. I love the fact that she had a garland of hearts hanging from her air conditioning unit. She collects quirky creatures, and as she got dressed they seemed to be looking on in surprise and bewilderment. Hannah’s roommate helped zip her into the dress. It was time to face the music.

Brian Feldman Marries Anybody!

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Brian Feldman put up an event page on Facebook announcing that he would marry any woman who showed up to the Orange County Courthouse at 3PM on February 8th to get a marriage license with him. They would then have to wait three days before officially tying the knot in a small room in the marriage license office. Brian said this arbitrary marriage would point out the insanity of a state system that will allow total strangers to get married as long as they are of the opposite sex, while denying marriage to same-sex partners who have been together in a loving relationship for 20 years.
When I arrived at the courthouse, Amanda Chadwick was there waiting for Jeremy Seghers. Jeremy arrived and then a Central Florida News 13 cameraman. We spoke with the cameraman for a while and he told us his first marriage had been a mistake. He said the last nine years of that marriage had felt like he was living with a roommate. Jeremy called Brian to see where he was and he said, “only a few blocks away.” Brian did not have the cash for the marriage license so he was thinking of calling the project off. Jeremy immediately said he would pay the $93.50 for the marriage license, and that he had better show up! When Brian arrived, the news cameraman interviewed him for a while, before we all made our way through security and up to the third floor.
The hallway and inside of the marriage license office was packed full of people. I wedged myself into a corner and started sketching the marriage license counters, figuring I would catch Brian and his future bride when they finished their paperwork. Three woman stood in front of me with every intention of marrying Brian. Julie Norris, a talk show host for Front Porch Radio, with her 5 month old baby strapped to her chest; Hannah Miller, a puppeteer at Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater; and a third woman, Mary Ann Marks, who had heard about the wedding in the newspaper, holding a heart-shaped box of chocolates for Brian. I picked out a delicious round chocolate with caramel inside, after Brian offered them to the crowd. Elizabeth Maupin, the theater critic for the Orlando Sentinel, was also on hand to watch the license signing. She has known Brian since he was a child performer and has always had an interest in his career.
Brian purchased a bottle of Aquafina from the vending machine in the office and then proposed throwing the bottle over his shoulder, having the women catch it like a bouquet. Julie protested, however, thinking her child might get hit in the head. Someone in the crowd suggested he spin the bottle instead, and after a moment’s hesitation, he agreed. The bottle spun about four times on the carpet before settling on Hannah Miller.
After completing the paperwork, the couple sat in a waiting area, while the county workers filed and stamped all the necessary documents. Hannah called her father to tell him the good news. There were three video cameras on her the whole time as she spoke to him on the speaker phone. He took the news well saying he just wanted her to be happy. When he addressed Brian he called him “son.” Brian fielded several interviews. The couple really didn’t talk much.

In a Facebook note, here is what Hannah Miller said about the event…
Why I’m Getting Married To Someone I Don’t Love
We’re doing it for love… just not ours.
I believe in marriage.
I believe that marriage is a public way to declare the very personal commitment that two people make to one another; to proclaim that their hearts are so incomplete without the other that they must legally bind their property and lives to ensure the union’s safety.
I believe that denying same-sex couples the same 1,000+ rights given to couples of opposing genders that choose to marry is tantamount to declaring that GLBT relationships are not valid–or, at the very least, not AS valid as heterosexual relationships. I believe that marriage equality ensures the health and happiness not only of same-sex partners, but also their families. I believe that the denial of marriage rights to GLBT individuals is a denial of the elemental protections the State and Federal government should provide to all individuals, regardless of race, gender, religion, or any other arbitrary defining factor, like sexual orientation.
I am marrying Brian Feldman, a man I don’t love, because I BELIEVE.
I hope you believe too.
Please come to our wedding, 3pm at the Orange County Courthouse in downtown Orlando. And please show how MUCH you believe with careful voting choices, letters declaring your beliefs to your State and Federal representatives, and generous donations to a pro-marriage-equality organization such as Brian’s favorites, below:
Equality Florida
Human Rights Campaign
P.S. When Hannah Miller got back to her car, she found a $28 parking ticket since the meter had just run out. The costs of getting married just keep climbing!

Carousel of Progress 35th Anniversary

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To commemorate the Carousel of Progress’ 35th anniversary at the Magic Kingdom, Brian Feldman decided to experience the ride, his favorite, for as long as the park was open that day – 11 hours straight. In order for me to sketch Brian’s performance, I had to arrange some way to get into the park without paying a fortune. I put out a request via Facebook, and Lon Smart, a former Disney Feature Animation colleague, offered to get me in. As I was driving down World Drive toward the Magic Kingdom, Brian Feldman gave me a call and explained that he had arranged for a travel agency to supply him with a ticket. When he got to the Disney World will call ticket booth, he was asked for his ID or drivers license. It was only then that he realized he had forgotten his license, at home: it was sitting on the kitchen table. Brian’s performance had been on the news that morning, yet the Cast Member stood fast and refused to give him the ticket.

I called Lon who was converging on the Magic Kingdom on his motorcycle, trying to explain the situation, but our connection was cut off. When I met Brian at the Monorail, I told him Lon might be able to save the day and get both of us in. As we waited at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, Brian and I both noticed a man holding a black box with a yellow cord hanging from it that looked suspiciously like a fuse. I was standing near a trash can and the man approached me and dropped something inside the can. Needless to say,I backed away from the trash can quickly. The man later handed the black box to someone else who walked away with it. We never did find out what was in the black box.

Lon arrived and was happy to get both Brian and myself into the park. As we walked down Main Street, U.S.A., Lon explained to us that the Carousel of Progress is slated to be disassembled and moved to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. He knows what will replace the attraction, but is sworn to secrecy.

There was no line to get on the Carousel of Progress. Brian and I entered the theater the first time with six or seven other people. A Cast Member announced, “Please no eating, drinking, video or photography.” They did not say anthing about sketching, so I immediately set up my portable stool so I could look down the front row of the theater with Brian in the foreground, and started to sketch. The Carousel tells the story of the evolution of technology in 20th century America. According to the show introduction, “The Carousel of Progress has had more performances than any other stage show in the history of American theater”. With robots.

After the first performance of the Carousel was over, Brian and I remained seated and waited for the next audience. A few people trickled in and the show began again. A Carousel Cast Member approached me and asked, “Is that Fred?” I responded, “No.” He then said, “I heard that someone named Fred was going to ride the attraction all day”. I then introduced him to Brian. Brian was not pleased that I had blown his cover. I had placed the entire mission in jeopardy. As I sketched, I noticed video cameras positioned in the corners of the attraction to watch the audience. After the next performance of the Carousel was over, two more gentlemen approached us and said they were there to help us. My sketch was not finished yet, and I was suspicious. “May I help you?” usually means quite the opposite. They said we could get on the ride all day, but we would have to exit each time and then re-enter. They told us we could stand at a roped off area so we didn’t have to get to the back of the line each time. But really, come on… “what line?” This was the Carousel of Progress, not Space Mountain!

With the next performance, the ride broke down, and the audience was treated to the same performance by the same animatronics a second time. Over the PA system, a woman who sounded like a flight attendant, asked everyone to quietly and calmly exit the theater. We found ourselves on the backlot and had to walk around to get back in the park.

We didn’t know how long the ride would be down, so I started a sketch of Brian as he checked his iPhone and talked to the friendly Cast Member informing gusts of the ride’s temporary closure. Before I finished the sketch the ride began again, so it took a little less than two hours for it to be fixed. All during that time, people had to be turned away. Buttons were being handed out in the park announcing the ride’s 35th anniversary, so some people were curious.

It took me a while to find Brian again since there are five different theaters, each letting the audience exit in different spots. I experienced the ride a few more times to finish the sketch. It broke down once again, this time in the living room of tomorrow. In this scene, the oven is programed to work via voice activation, and as the family of tomorrow jokes about a high score on a video game, the oven raises the temperature to match the game score, burning the dinner. Smoke billows out of the oven. We had to sit through the same scenario several times, each time having more smoke fill the theater. One woman rushed past me saying, “I’m getting out of here!” When I got out of the theater, I decided my sketch was finished. Brian continued to ride the attraction for the rest of the day. This might be the most daring and dangerous performance he has ever done.

“There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!”

“Take My Beard, Please!”

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On New Year’s Eve at 7 PM Brian Feldman had his marquee sign set up outside Urban Stylez Barbershop at 7 North Rosalind Avenue, right across from the Orlando Public Library and next to Blank Space. To attract additional attention an 8-foot high inflatable barber pole also danced in the street. I arrived a little early and considered drawing the inflatable barber pole, but felt it would take too long. Minutes later, Brian arrived with his parents. Inside, he set out his Best of Orlando plaques on a ledge and disappeared into the back room of the barbershop. I asked which chair Brian would be seated in and the second chair was pointed out.
I started one sketch but felt I was too close to the action and the barber might block my view most of the time, so I started a second sketch which offered a better overview of the room. I started this second sketch drawing the fellow getting his hair buzzed. Then, when Brian stepped out and was seated I started blocking him in. Brian asked if anyone in the audience would like to have a first cut using scissors and Jeff Wirth stepped up to the plate. I sketched Brian’s head at the moment his beard was beginning to be buzzed off. He didn’t look happy about these first cuts. The beard came off in less than a minute, and then the straight edge was taken out to give Brian a really close shave. The chair was reclined and Brian’s face covered with a hot towel. He looked nervous as the straight edge was taken to his throat.
Brian’s huge head of hair looked very much out of place without the beard, and he asked the barber to cut it as well. From the audience, Jeff Wirth shouted out, “It’s a double feature!” For a reasons unknown, I still do not understand why Brian asked that 2011 be shaved into the side of his new haircut.
The event was shot live by Brian’s dad using his iPhone and was posted on The Daily City even before the shave was finished. Brian handed out beard masks to everyone who attended.

ChanuIKEA

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För åttonde natten Hanukkah, Brian Feldman värd en dynamisk händelse med sin mor i IKEA Orlando på 4092 Eastgate Drive. Jag kom några minuter för tidigt och hittade Chris Blanc, Jeremy Seghers och Mark Baratelli väntar inom restaurangområdet i butiken. De diskuterade om de skulle få lite mat innan Brian kom. Jag bestämde jag kunde inte skissa och äta på samma gång så jag väntade. Brian anlände sent. Den grupp människor som sakta samlades gick till ett bord på en lokal vid toppen av rulltrappan där vi kunde se posten vägen till affären. Seth Kubersky i Orlando Weekly sa att förra årets tillställning var mycket lika. För diner Seth beställde lox vilket är en mycket Judisk skålen med svenska köttbullar som säkerligen inte är. När Brian kom han sökte efter ett eluttag för att koppla in sin elektrisk Menorah. Den första kontakten fungerade inte och jag hittade honom ett annat utlopp. Fru Feldman delade ut dreidels för alla och förklarade spelen betydelse. Ett högt tillkännagivande om butiken intercom meddelade att restaurangen skulle stängas i 15 minuter. Strax därefter Brian reste sig och började göra tillkännagivanden av hans egna som översatt från hebreiska till svenska. Låntagare vid andra bord började sneglande över tänkande Brian skulle kunna tala i tungor. Brian leder sedan monterar folk på en rundtur i IKEA talar i hans översatta svenska manus. För att avsluta skissen jag var tvungen att stanna kvar. Porttelefonen meddelade att butiken skulle läggas ned i 15 minuter, så jag började jobba snabbare. När porttelefonen meddelade att butiken var stängd jag fortfarande dröjde tillsätta några sista tvättar. När jag gick ner till första våningen, fann jag gruppen i slutet. Jag frågade vad jag hade missat, och ingen kunde egentligen kan erbjuda en tydlig förklaring. Brian hade separerat från gruppen vid ett tillfälle och de förlorat kontakten med honom. Jag börjar tro att hela poängen med ChanuIKEA var för alla att uppleva semester rusa på turné i ögonblicken innan butiken stängd.

Lotto Pool – Brian Feldman

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I traveled to Miami Beach to see Brian Feldman’s first performance there. Brian sat in the lobby of the Carlton Hotel in South Beach 1433 Collins Avenue. There he sat at a small table decorated with Lotto playslips. The goal of this performance was to pool $1 from as many people as possible and then purchase the number of tickets corresponding to the number of people who entered the pool. The hotel owner had reservations about allowing Brian to stage his performance here. He was concerned that it might seem like Brian was selling tickets right in the lobby. Brian had to keep a low profile to keep from being booted out.

This same evening, there was a Pool Art Fair being held in the hotel in conjunction with Art Basel Miami Beach. Art Basel Miami Beachis a huge art fair with gallery owners from around the world displaying their wares. Much of the best art work in the world is flown into Miami for this event and it it almost impossible to see it all. Terry and I both gave Brian a dollar and had to sign a “Lotto Pool” agreement. If one of the lotto tickets purchased won then Brian would purchase a piece of art from the Pool Fair or a parallel fair of Art Basel Miami Beach and he would divide the work by cutting (if a canvas or paper) or breaking (if sculpture or mixed media) the purchased art into the number of pieces corresponding to the number of individuals in the lotto pool.

Part of me wanted to win and another part didn’t want to win. I didn’t want to be a part of destroying a great work of art and yet it might be fun to see some bad art cut up. A friend told me a parable about two women who went before a king both claiming to be a baby’s mother. When the king could not get to the bottom of the issue with just questions, he decided to cut the child in half and give each woman half. One woman pleaded and said she would relinquish her claim if he spared the child’s life. The king then knew she must be the true mother. With that in mind, I let out a sigh of relief when Brian sent me an e-mail informing me that none of the lotto tickets purchased had won. At least I got a decent sketch.