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    GCAC Presents: Are You Calling Me a Wimp*?!

    An amusing and ultimately uplifting experience at the Asian Festival at the Franklin Park Conservatory in May reminded us that it’s really not a good idea to make assumptions about people or what activities they may enjoy.

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    Capital Area Paper Shapers (Ohio Paper Folders) had taken a tent to promote origami and the artists and enthusiasts who work with our group. We set up a space along the front of the tent where people could stop and learn to fold something or they could simply watch others folding. In addition, we had a small display in a locking glass case, to give people an idea of the variety, complexity and beauty of models people are creating.

    There was a constant stream of people visiting our tent. Typically, more than a dozen people were collected in front of our tent watching, folding or talking to us about their experience with origami. Saturday was quite busy and a lovely day at the Asian Festival. By days end we’d taught and or spoken with more than a thousand people.

    Late Saturday afternoon, in one of the few breaks between visitors, a couple of teens stopped at the tent. These youths were feeling very full of themselves and began rudely commenting about origami. There were a few models on top of the case, to permit people to examine them more closely. One of the teens roughly takes up a model and began to start an argument. He’s trying far too hard, to convince all of us (and himself apparently) that he’s a big strong man. He challenged every answer to every question and finally after we had suffered his insolence and rudeness for what seemed to be an interminable time, the models were removed from reach and the teens were asked to leave.

    This of course resulted in an escalation of their bad behavior. They became really insulting – “Any guy who does origami is a wimp*!” the boy jeered.

    Just then, a very large hand reaches forward from behind the boys, and comes to rest on the shoulder of the loud, aggressive boy. A guy who could double for Ving Rhames – big, muscled, bald and tattooed bends down and asks: “Are you calling me a wimp*? I fold origami.”

    The boys took off without a word. We never got our deliverer’s name – but hey big guy, you are welcome at our convention, CenterFold, in August!

    CenterFold Origami Convention, August 12 – 14th will be held at The Ramada Plaza Hotel & Conference Center, 4900 Sinclair Road, Columbus, Ohio, 614-846-0300. Registration for the convention is available online, as well as information about our group and our monthly meetings, at www.ohiopaperfolders.com or phone 740-334-4213.

    *PG language substituted.

    GCAC Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting art and advancing culture in Columbus – in partnership with the Columbus Arts Marketing Association, a professional development and networking association of arts marketers. Each column will be written by a different local arts organization to give you an insiders look at the arts in Columbus.

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