Welcome to day 2! I know a lot of creative folks are spending the 100 day project making cool stuff every day, and I think there will be some handmade artifacts to come out of how I’m spending the next few months, but for the first few days, at least, I’m doing more thinking, writing, and list-making. I talked a bit about the coffee/cafe part yesterday; today I’d like to start to think more about the art part. Because my space will not be a coffee shop with some work on the walls (not that there’s anything wrong with that), nor will it be a “legit” or artist-run gallery, per se. Again, I’ve got nothing at all against those spaces—the more art on view in the world, the better, I say—I’m just not all that interested at this stage in my life/”career” in jockeying for any kind of sliver of that too-small pie (that said, if a gallery wanted to represent me or if an alt space wanted to show my work I certainly would not turn them down!). So I’m figuring out what the space might be like exactly, considered through the lens of making, showing, and just generally celebrating art and the creative process.
One of the things I enjoyed most about at home, the art show I curated back in December in the house we were temporarily renting before our lease ran out, was the ability to show my work and the work of others without waiting for permission, acceptance, validation, or space availability from anyone or anything else. How liberating! I love seeing art in the white cube of the gallery or museum space, I really do, but I also love seeing art in unexpected places.
So imagine my delight, walking in downtown Berkeley a few days ago, when I passed by the work of Emma Spertus (above) and Carlota Rodriguez (below) on view in beautiful, big window displays at the corner of Milvia and Addison, a satellite gallery of Kala Art Institute. Read more about the work of and partnership between Kala and NIAD here.
I guess what I’m getting at in beginning to write about these kinds of spaces is my interest and aim not to just display art on the walls or on pedestals, but really think about activating the space in creative ways, using the windows, the interior design, the exterior, the bathroom, all the nooks and crannies, and of course the programming and community engagement…this is where the exciting stuff happens, in my opinion.
I’ll write more about a few other alternative art spaces in future posts (I’m keeping a list!), but would love to hear from you all if you have any suggestions of places or projects I should check out, in the Bay Area or elsewhere (I do love an art road trip). Please drop them in the comments below and come back here tomorrow for day 3!