Whenever I prepare to travel somewhere, I always make a list of a million things to do before I leave. It gives me an excuse to spend time with people I haven't seen in a while, to explore local events, shows, and creative happenings, and to soak up new experiences before venturing off for a few days. I enjoy the adrenaline of putting the pieces of the puzzle together to fit everything and everyone in on a tight schedule.
As I prepare to leave DC, I have created a list of places that I have yet to experience or want to experience again, before my chapter here closes. These last few weeks I have not been feeling visually inspired or motivated and was in dire need of a creative pick-me-up. After reading articles about the newly renovated Renwick Gallery and their exhibition WONDER, I knew this would be the first stop on my list.
This was the first time, in a while, where I was completely immersed and infatuated with artwork. Each room took me into a different creative space with installations that excited my imagination. As I moved through the gallery, I looked forward to what I would experience in the following rooms.
Immediately walking into Patrick Dougherty's installation, I was fascinated by the attention to detail and monumental scale of each piece. I felt like I was in the midst of the M. Night Shyamalan movie "The Village" as my eyes were drawn to the shadows these shapes cast. They brought life to the flat walls and created another dimension to the room. I felt immersed in another world where these structures were hideaways and the walls came alive from their presence.
This exhibition restored my inspiration and drive to create. It brought back memories of my excitement in experiencing other artist's work, that I never knew existed. It brought back my love of the creative process and to start pushing myself again to make work.
As artists, it's difficult to find a work–life balance that allows us to take the time to create. As our schedules fill up quickly with dinners, events, and drinks with friends, we lose sight of the things that invigorate our spirit. We have to make the time to constantly create so we can thrive in all aspects of our lives.
Exploring this gallery allowed people to imagine and to dream. To think about how these installations were created, molded, and transformed into these structures. To take a moment to lay down, marvel at the work before them, and engage with each element.
It left me wondering, how do we curate more creative spaces, like this, to fully engage with our audience?