The Mountain View Odd Fellows launched the holiday season with a three-day art pop-up art sale that packed the lodge with color, creativity, and enough foot traffic to make Castro Street wonder if we’d started giving away free parking. Fourteen artists showed off paintings, stickers, ceramics, postcards, jewelry, embroidery, and even comic books (for anyone who prefers their holiday reading with a few more action lines). Not bad for a holiday weekend when most people were still digesting approximately 2.3 pounds of turkey and stuffing.
The Artists Mountain View group (our neighbors who gather monthly at Red Rock) collectively earned about two thousand dollars! Even better, 25% of those proceeds are going straight into their “Let’s Finally Get a Mural Downtown” fund. Soon, the blank wall of the MV lodge may transform into something far more exciting than beige stucco… actual art!
Visitors streamed in, drawn not just by the art, but also by the chance to peek inside the “mysterious Odd Fellows building.” Many asked questions about our history, our mission, and whether we were some kind of friendly secret society. (Answer: yes, except the secret is mostly how to find the light switches.)
These pop-ups always turn out to be incredible outreach opportunities. With our unbeatable location on Castro Street, there’s no reason we can’t keep the momentum going. Whether it’s art shows, classes, meet-ups, or even clothing swaps, a personal goal is to work towards having the lodge open and active EVERY weekend. Much like Ria’s charming window displays, these events really brighten downtown Mountain View. And if these lead to more art, more community, AND the occasional new member who wandered in “just to look around”…? All the better.
— by Mark Flider