On the Eve of My Solo Art Exhibition

I am celebrating 29 years of sobriety today. Nearly three decades ago, I put the bottle down for the last time. Coming off a month long binge fueled by drugs and alcohol, I knew something needed to change.

The path I found myself on only led to death and destruction.

I didn’t start out with the intent of being an addict. I simply wanted to party and have a good time.

Partying became a full time endeavor—almost like another job.

Along the way, I compromised my character and lost sight of any semblance of boundaries. I reached a point where I no longer had a conscience.

But, sheerly by God’s grace, all of that began to change on August 12, 1995.

Tomorrow morning, I hang my art show. After all these years, I finally finish something that I can share with the public. It’s cathartic. It’s freeing. It’s pleasing to my soul.

If you’re in the area, I hope you take time to go see it. My foray into the art world will be hanging at Heights Recreation Center in Richardson, Texas.

The street address is 711 W. Arapaho Road. The hours are:

Monday – Thursday:
6 AM – 10 PM
Friday: 6 AM – 9 PM  
Saturday: 8 AM – 5 PM
Sunday: 11 AM – 5 PM

My exhibit will be open to the public starting the evening of August 13 through mid-October (10/15).

At its heart, my exhibit “When Your Days End In Why” is a song of lament shared visually through my personal lens. As is true with any lament, there is sorrow mixed with joy. It is a story that unfolds through many dark nights of the soul amid shouts of victorious praise. It depicts people I met through my work at a local Dallas homeless outreach. My hope is that through my work, people will come to see the homeless as humans to be loved rather than a problem to be solved.

If you go see my exhibit, I pray the work is something that resonates with you.

 Know you are loved.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™