Day Twenty-Two: The Last Day

So this was it.

We had been here three weeks, and the artists and writers were essentially finished. The artists had to spend the day packing up their studios and arranging to mail home the work they had completed. For the writers, it was an easier task–most of our work would be saved on our hard drives, or our clouds, or our notebooks. But the culmination had been the day before–so today was about finishing final details and packing.

I have to say it was a bit sad taking a look into the studios and seeing blank walls. One of the things I enjoyed most about this residency was looking in on the artists’ progress and seeing the work they were creating. Now it was gone. These were not the same blank walls that greeted us when we arrived–those were full of possibilities, excitement for the days ahead. These blank walls made me feel a bit sad.

Since I had completed all of my writing goals, and even created two new pieces beyond that list, I decided it would be a day of socializing, relaxing and reading. I finally had a chance to read Madeline Sayet’s play “Where We Belong” and I also read Ernest Thompson’s “The West Side Waltz” and Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s “The Little Prince.” This was especially appropriate, because the Saint-Exupery family once owned this land and lived in the chateau. So, I sat by the pond for much of the day, partly alone, and partly with Tilly, Maddy and Sapir. I also made sure to say goodbye to the various animals that populated the grounds.

In the evening, we attended an event at the Diderot Studios in the village, wherein all of the artwork the residents have donated to the chateau is on display. There was of course, champagne, and an opportunity to take in the work created this residency blended with the work of previous residents. Also featured were a toast and a few words of gratitude from Beulah, who co-founded the residency.

Below are some images from the gallery that night.

After the gallery event and then dinner, Maddy decided to host our very last writer’s salon. During the writing presentations, Maddy had shared only half of the story she had written. Since many of us expressed that we wanted to hear the ending, she volunteered to share the rest of the story with us. It was an entertaining and compelling story clearly inspired by her time at the chateau. It was great to hear how she ended her story, and also to be together in the salon one last time.

And that was it for the planned and scheduled events. There was more socializing, more celebrating, plenty of hugging, and expressions of gratitude and friendship. Tomorrow, we would all gather in the château and begin our journey back to reality.