Meet Tony Welch

This is Act 3 of my working life. It started in the spring of 2023 when my friend Nance and I decided to see some art on a Tuesday. Neither of us had been to the Harrison Center, but we had heard positive reviews, so we decided to visit. We simply came to the front door, rang the doorbell, and said, 'Hello, we'd like to see some art.'  We were promptly buzzed in and greeted by Connie, who offered a guided tour of the galleries.

The center is well sorted with a wide variety of artists and artworks. Paintings, collage works, photography, and pottery are all displayed. Each uniquely highlights the artist's use of materials like water paints, a combination of collage with finger water paints, and acrylic paints used for sculpture. This was impressive, but we were more impressed with the positive vibe of the people we met during the tour and at the front desk.

I wanted to explore a new side of life, had time on my hands, and had zero desire to go back into "corporate life" after spending 40 years toiling in various global corporations within procurement departments. So, I took a leap and began volunteering for First Fridays in June 2023, followed by Bloombox. I continued to volunteer each First Friday for 12 months and discovered I had a bit of a knack for selling artwork and interacting with guests. 

The positive vibe from the first visit was real and not simply a performance. It left me curious and wanting to explore this new side of life. This led me to April 2024, when I decided to pursue this more seriously and expressed an interest in an Internship.

I'd encourage others to always be open to new experiences and not hold back.