More there to support the owner than anything else, and maybe hob-nob a bit with the hoity-toity of Nelson.
It takes 5 minutes to survey the exhibition, trees, landscapes, a few abstractions, competent but not good, grab a few hors d'oeuvres, a mocktail, chat briefly with an attractive woman approaching my age, she asks my favourite of the works and I'm at a loss, hopefully she's not one of the artists and I realize I can't possibly hold in my opinions too much longer and bail.
The crowd, mostly in their late 60's to 80's, well attended with about 30 or so people, bloody hell, and the artists are going to speak on their work that requires absolutely no explaining or interpretation - none at all, more excusing than anything, and I'm out...
I was glad of the no wingman, had I been dragged to sit through their speaking - unless their eloquence lay in words (clearly not form or colour), had I had to sit through that I might have topped myself...