Daily journal January 27, 2001, The trip into Mystery Babylon New York City of sin.

At 7 A.M. a light new snow covers all this area as we leave for New York outsider art show and symposium at New York University in the A M before I signed Raw Vision magazine's issue #33 all afternoon and met so many people that appreciate Christian art. My host is Norman along with Dr. Carol Crown from the University Memphis and Diane, head of the Banana Factory Gallery in Bethlehem. I am indeed happy to be in such great company. We arrived in time for the seminar and found a parking space which is a real miracle in this part of New York. The trip took about an hour and a half from Easton to the Holland Tunnel and down under the Hudson River and up into the Great City called the Big Apple, into Greenwich, Village. Very soon I saw the Village Voice Newspaper. The symposium untitled 2 uncommon artist, a series of Cameo Talks including Dr.Judith Weissman, director of folk art studies, associate Professdor of Art, New York University. Gerard C. Wertkin, director, Museum of American Folk Art. Introduction by Lee Kogan, director of, Museum of American Folk Art Institute. Charles A.A. Delschau; The butcher who wanted to fly. Tracy Baker-White, director public programs, South West School of Art and Craft. Passion and Spectacle, The writing behind Henry Darger’s Art. Michael Bonesteel, Author and journalist. The influences that surround my Art. Renee Shout, artist. Bessie Harvey and Michaelangelo: The self-taught artist in an expanded context. By-Jennifer P. Borum. Instructor, Folk Institute, Ph.D., candidate at City University of New York's Graduate Center. Contact Museum of American Folk Art, 555 West 57^th. Street, New York, New York 10019 admission was $30 per person. This is the program. Thanks to Professor Norman Girardot for inviting me into his home in Easton, (Lehigh) The journey to the Tuck Building at Houston and Broadway was a short trip uptown with the crowds that attend this annual show is amazing. Admission is $12 to see the show. This is the official outsider Art Fair of New York and draws in people from all over. I have no dealer here but many ask about my art and where they can see it. It is amazing that so much of it is on my websites thompson-art.com and art-church.com (dailyjournals) Mark 16-15 "Go ye into all world and preach the gospel”. Lord may we take this serious as our duty and responsibility to be witnesses of Thee especially in the darkest of places as here in the great city the honors Satan but where God is not allowed for the most part. We had lunch in a Japanese restaurant upstairs over looking the street on a lazy Saturday when New York is not so busy. My good friend from St. Louis John Foster was there and had lunch with us and Dr. Carol Crown, My host Norman Girardot, and all the group also including Tom Patterson of Winston Salem N.C., talking about writing the introduction for my art book, a book of my art and reason for painting. Jim Mann was later although he did not have lunch with us but we toured the art show together later in the afternoon. After the seminar we drove uptown at least to Houston St. (Tuck) stopping at the door and was met by Dr. James Mann curator of the Las Vegas Art Museum. I was let into the show and given a seat at the table to sign the magazines that featured my work on the cover and in eight pages in the center of the magazine. I had a good meeting with Mr. John Maizels from London Rawvision, he expressed his continued interest in sharing in the publication of a book of my work from the thousand pieces of art I have completed since 1989. I look forward with great interest myself to this publication that will tell my complete story and show a lot of my work. I seek to illustrate the Bible through my art to paint the Word of God in visual art form of ministry. We returned to Easton for the night.