Mama Kat Thursday: Best Job I Ever Had

I've had many jobs over the course of my life, but my all time favorite was working at the Bolling Air Force Base Arts and Crafts Center in 1984, shortly after Hubby and I were married.

It included  wood-working shop, ceramics shop, framing shop, a large from for art & craft classes and a small art supply store for brushes, paints, canvas, etc.
Each of these areas also offered classes so, for a small fee, you could learn how to build something with wood, frame your own art, learn to paint in oil or watercolor and pour and paint your own ceramic pieces. 

Joint Anacostia-Bolling Arts & Crafts Center (2017)

I saw in the base paper a job opening at the Center and applied and was hired to manage and build-up the Craft side of the Center. 

The Art Director wanted more classes offered, so my job was to find and hire instructors for a variety of art & craft classes as well as teach classes myself. 

We had a friend, an Air Force officer, who did stained glass for a hobby and I hired him to each a class or two on making stained glass.

Tole painting, which is a kind of folk art, was also super popular back then and a lady who did Tole Painting came to the Arts and Crafts Center looking to teach classes, so I hired her for several Tole Painting classes.

I offered to teach a class on how to sew on a sewing machine, though students had to bring their own machine. I only did that class once and only had one student: a Canadian lady, wife of a Canadian officer stationed at Bolling, but we had fun.

I also taught several "Beginner Art" classes--mostly for children, but I think I did one for adults, too. I just used simple basic techniques I learned in my own art school drawing classes, like contour drawing and so on that anyone can do, so I could help my students learn they could create art!

I liked the people I worked with, too. The Art Director, Kathy, was a petite lady with a degree in fine art, long hair to the middle of her back and a really open, innovative spirit. She was willing to try any idea and was super supportive. 

Arnie, who ran the wood shop, was a hoot, too. 

One time Kathy, Arnie and I got to talking about how colors effect people and we did a whole experiment with soda to see if we painted the cans different solid colors, like black or green or blue, would that effect the taste?

Then, another time, Kathy sent me, Arnie and I think the girl who ran the ceramic shop, on a field trip to the Smithsonian Art Museum one day. I can't remember now what we were trying to accomplish, I remember it was sure fun.

I had that job for a year, from spring of 1984 till spring of 1985, because we had orders to move to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida that summer.

My Arts and Crafts Center friends threw me a going away party and gave me full color history of Art book that they all signed, which I still have. So, lots of good memories there.

*****

So what was the best job you ever had?

Thanks for Visiting!

(According to what I read online, the current Bolling Arts and Crafts Center just offers wood-working, framing & engraving services. I guess they house the Tickets & Tours office, too.

I guess the Arts & Crafts Center on Eglin wasn't making enough income, so they got rid of it.)