Adrian and I drove to West Hazleton, Pennsylvania for the first time yesterday to meet two sons for Labor Day weekend. We found a possible restaurant on the internet, but were absolutely delighted last night to find the quality of the food and the people at Martin's Restaurant far beyond our expectations. If you are anywhere NEAR West Hazleton, you must eat here. Martin, the chef, is a food artist, and I discovered that his wife Jane is a visual artist!
Martin and Jane have been running the restaurant for eight years. Jane has been painting whenever she has the time, and has shown in regional galleries. We instantly connected as artists and plan to stay in touch. Jane shows local art on the walls of the restaurant, but is thinking of using space next door to open a gallery.
We talked about the problems all artists have in figuring out how to market their art. Jane said she had sold more art from her restaurant walls than from the walls of a gallery that represented her. These are tough times for artists and galleries right now. Unfortunately, most people consider art a luxury, not a necessity. They don't realize it is one of the best bargains you can find in food for the soul.
