Taking Up Space
Hanging up my basket for a brief moment before installation
Environment + Microclimates opens on Friday, September 6 in Detroit. I hope we have a large turn-out, because although we call it an opening, like it’s the “start,” it’s really the culmination of many small and extraordinary efforts that deserve to be celebrated.
This big group show started months ago with a seed of an idea planted by Lisa Waud, a botanical artist, who invited Sarah Rose Sharp (Rosie), to collaborate in co-curating an art experience. Rosie extended an invitation to Fiber Club*, a loose network of artists, which snowballed into exponential invitations, with a proviso to actively participate, collaborate, and take advantage of the opportunity. There would be no fees for artists - nothing to submit work, nothing to participate. As in, here is space, be responsible for your own thing with few parameters, be kind, share, communicate, show up.
In the intervening time, upwards of nearly 100 artists in the show have poured their heart into the work, plus time, sweat, emotion, vulnerability and passion. Volunteer efforts to organize and manage this thing have been no small feat, and it has taken a generous collaborative push.
When I started dipping my toe into the art world - and particularly the competitive space of residency and show submissions - I discovered how competitive and guarded it can be, how much people protect resources, information and assets because they seem finite. With this show, we have no money to begin with, so that’s off the table, but we have space.
We were given the gift of space and time by Method Development and Detroit Design District, via Lisa’s established relationship from her previous residency. This show attempts to flip resource guarding on its head, encouraging artists to invite others, collaborate, and fill up this incredible, and sometimes challenging, space.
In fact, expectations were set from the outset: artists could take on their own rooms or areas (microclimates) and be fully responsible for them, including curation, installation and activation. It took me a while to wrap my head around Rosie’s vision to fully trust people in this way - implicit trust is not my default - but most artists recognized and seized onto this gift, taking full advantage of the scrumptious opportunity.
During the luxurious installation period, this big community has been able to meet, laugh, commune, take photos, get feedback, gain critical installation experience, learn from each other and enjoy the process.
I’m so lucky to be surrounded by this group. They are creative, of course, talented and smart. But also kind, thoughtful, and generous. There is joy, and joy is money in my emotional bank. Every time I feel vulnerable about my own work (so often), I feel buoyed by knowing I am part of this greater collective.
