The Beginning

So our university/museum tour kicked off in September with a journey to Maine. We started at Bowdoin College. We had been invited by Professor Susan Wegner.

We first met Professor Wegner at the CAA convention in Chicago in February 2010. Over many years we had strategized how best to roll out our film (when we finally finished) and we believed that CAA was the perfect setting to launch. CAA would be the first step in our DIY distribution plan. And after spending 7 years making the film (hard to admit) we hoped it would be smooth sailing.

We had reserved a booth in the book and trade fair section of the convention. We ordered press materials, booked our travel early and tried to be meticulous, saving money without cutting corners and yet we almost didn't make it to Chicago. 

The conference was scheduled for February 10-13 and when a blizzard hit on the 6th we scurried to find alternate travel routes should we need them. Things were crazy, We booked a sleeper train just in case and kept checking the flights - we had to get there. And then the day before our flight - . . .

Snowmageddon  - that's what they nicknamed it. People said it was epic. The second North American blizzard of 2010 hit the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the United States between February 9–11, 2010.  The storm dumped 12 to 40 inches of snow across a wide swath from Washington, DC to Boston.

Oh no! We kept checking the flights. And then when it seemed that a later flight might be a better bet we took the chance and changed ours - only to have the earlier one be the last to leave the gate.

So Melissa went to work and pulled some strings - (having a sister-in-law in the travel business is a good thing!)

Pheww . . . a day late - but we got there, many weren't so lucky. Yeah!

We set up our booth, got some power for our laptaps and waited for the crowds. 

People seemed genuinely interested in our film. We told everyone about our plans to self-distribute starting in the Fall of 2010. They watched the trailer, snapped up out postcards and bookmarks and signed our mailing list.

We also made time to see some of the academic presentations at CAA. We were especially eager to see Professor Wegner's talk - "Darkness at Dawn: Artemisia Gentileschi’s Aurora, ca. 1625-27." It was an amazing paper - we were both moved - (actually to tears) and we can't wait for it to be published so we can share it with all of you.

We were pleased when Professor Wegner came to our booth to see our trailer and find out more about our plans for the film. It seems so long ago.

So in September 2010 we set out for Maine. (more coming . . . )