The Exhibit Keeps Changing
When The Westfield Art Association offered me the opportunity to create a residency exhibit at Sunrise Cellars, my first instinct wasn't to say yes. Not because I didn't believe in my work, but because I wasn't sure I was ready for everything that came with it.
The timing was tight. I was starting a new role at my day job, summer was already filling up quickly, and I had only a few days to select pieces, frame the work, transport everything, and install the exhibit in the space. My first thought was simple: I'm not ready.
Looking back, I realize I wasn't questioning whether I belonged there. I was wondering if I could pull everything together in time. I had about 100 reasons why the timing wasn't perfect, but what made this opportunity feel different was the flexibility of the residency itself. Thanks to the support of the Sunrise Cellars owners, I knew the exhibit didn't have to remain exactly the same for three months. It could evolve.
I loved the idea that someone could visit at the beginning of the residency and see something different if they returned later. The walls could change. New work could find its place. The exhibit could continue to grow.
What I didn't expect was how quickly that evolution would begin.
Shortly after the exhibit opened, I shared a reel highlighting one of the collages currently on display. Not long after, I received an Instagram message from someone who connected with the piece and wanted to know how they could purchase it. It was exciting, unexpected, and incredibly rewarding to know that something I created resonated enough with someone that they wanted it to become part of their own space.
Then another collage found its collector.
My first instinct wasn't to focus on the sale itself. Instead, I immediately started thinking: What belongs on that wall now?
That question has become one of the most exciting parts of this residency. I have several works in progress beginning to take shape. Maybe one of them will become the next piece added to the exhibit. Maybe two completely new ideas will emerge from the studio. I'm not sure yet, and I love that there is room for discovery.
Before this residency, I thought an exhibit was the final step—the moment when the work was complete and ready to be viewed. What I'm discovering is that it can be something else entirely. An exhibit can be a conversation. It can shift and change. It can inspire the next piece of work.
Standing in a public space and seeing my artwork on the walls has been both humbling and confidence-building. This experience has reminded me that sometimes the biggest creative opportunities come from saying yes before everything feels perfectly lined up.
The residency isn't finished. The walls are still changing, and so am I. I can't wait to see what comes next.
