Day 5 of 7 - Installation Nation

I got some finishing touches done today on my container and then grabbed a convenient bite to eat across the street at Lockerbie Pub. Beer + good burgers + Wi-Fi = a perfect spot to rest my feet.
Tonight was the first night of the Installation Nation Event. The evening seemed a bit long, but I had a lot of good conversations with visitors. Here are some shots of my space. I loved that the couple on the couch sat there for over an hour and had two friends join them in the surrounding chairs.

Day 4 of 7 - Installation Nation

Today was beautiful and productive. I've been worried about the strength of my magnets and even with all the research I did in preparation, I still ended up hot gluing a corner of the magnet to the steel wall. I always feel safe with hot glue, she never lets me down. The drawings only weigh 1.5 lbs. and I got Neodymium magnets with a 20 lb. pull force, but there are so many variables that can come into play. Several of the magnets slowly slid down the walls in areas where there had been dents and damage. After the securing of magnets, drawings and labels went up and behold! electricity! So many variables effect an installation and the supplies at hand. Again with the preparedness. I brought a dozen light bulbs, you'd think I'd have the ones I want to use, but noooooo. So tomorrow I need to pick up some higher wattage and a three-way.
Every one at Primary Colours and the artists involved have been amazing and so kind and I'm excited to see what manifests in their containers by tomorrow night.
I have to find a carpet remnant, get some more cable to rig up my last curtain and do some electrical cord hiding, other than I'm good to go!

Day 3 of 7 - Sponsors

One of Primary Colours generous donors, The Efroymson Family, has provided the Installation-Nation artists with stipends to help the installations manifest!
In addition , I am also getting support from Eastern Floral in Grand Rapids, MI. I worked for Eastern Floral for 6 years before I headed off to Grad School. They will be moving into their new digs on the west side of downtown Grand Rapids soon and are eager to build relationships and support local artists and musicians. They have generously provided me with a van for my week long journey as I haul all my furniture, art, and equipment to Indianapolis and back to Grand Rapids. I'd like to thank Eastern Floral and encourage my readers to continue to support a shop that's been part of GR's community for over 50 years!

Day 3 of 7 - Installation-Nation

I woke up to more rain last night and this morning, so I my motivation level was low. I thought I would spend the day at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, but decided to pass by the Installation-Nation site on my way. It wasn't a torrential downpour or lightning, so I decided to try to make some more progress. The only crummy part was the mud that surrounded my crate. I moved in most of the furniture, got the magnet hangers up, placed some bowls and plants, and began rigging up some light fixtures. Hopefully, tomorrow we'll have some electricity and I can start lighting the space.
I also had a nice conversation with a fellow artist Brian Priest. He filled me in on the layout of Indy and it's neighborhoods and not so surprising, we have a friend in common in St. Louis.

Day 2 of 7 - Installation-Nation

Another s..l...o..... w moving day. The divider wall erection had some snafus and didn't go up until noonish. The heat was pretty intense again today inside my crate, especially since I no longer had the cross breeze I had prior to the wall construction.I had some electrical access for awhile to plug in a fan, then the juice was cut and I was dripping buckets hanging my tension line and curtains. A storm swept in and I befriended two fellow Installation-Nation artists, Kathryn Armstrong & Jill Marie Mason, who are both getting their MFA's at Herron. We ended up at the pub across the street as the storm and lightning crept in. lightning + metal container = the last place I want to be installing my work.

Day 1 of 7 - Installation-Nation

So, the day began a bit behind schedule. The storage containers did not fully arrive on site until about 2:30 and the interiors were less than stellar. When Dane from Primary Colours went to check the containers out a couple weeks ago, they were awesome and white and shiny on the inside. The ones that arrived today are dull, rusty, and have tad of graffiti :-/ not exactly what I had envisioned for my installation. I should have been prepared for the unexpected, but I felt like everything had been covered and I had no need for concerns.


It's kind of bizarre because I am normally always prepared for the unexpected. I certainly brought enough clothing for a 2 month/three season stay. So I need to shift my perspective and think about my installation in the context of a worn storage container... the amount of times I've moved, the excessive usage of the container, and why I feel there will still be comfort in the space once my objects are introduced.


After being miserable in the 88 degree weather for the afternoon (Yes, I am one of those people who always complains about the heat or cold unless it is between 60-66 will low humidity) I was able to claim a container. Carefully cutting the vinyl to fit the corrugated side walls, I only accomplished the flooring today. Tomorrow, my divider wall should be in place and I can hang my curtains and begin to move in furniture.

Installation-Nation packing

My dear friend Cari helped me move furniture out of the house and into the van this weekend. I arrived in Indy last night and am excited to get started today. The shipping company is behind schedule with delivering the load of containers so it will be a bit longer before I can start laying some flooring.

Prep, Prep, and more Prep

This past weekend I started preparing my supplies and artwork for my upcoming Installation in Indy. First was the task of moving a 12' wide by 30' long roll of vinyl flooring from the basement to driveway, then measuring and cutting it to 8' x 20', the size of the metal shipping container. There were originally 2- 30 foot long pieces of linoleum to fill the gallery which held the original installation here

The bird's eye view makes the newly cut flooring look tiny. it sure didn't feel tiny trying to unroll and lay it out, sheesh! I played around with blue tape and furniture dimensions to get a feel for how easy the space will be to navigate and then made a final list of furniture and objects I will be bringing with me. Even though I am an excellent packer, a panel van can only hold so much.

The shipping containers are metal and rented, therefore I'm not allowed to make alterations that cannot be undone. Hmmmm, how does one hang 40 pieces of frame art, curtains, cords, etc? Magnets, of course! After much research about magnetic Pull Forces and other magnet lingo I made my earth magnet purchase from KJ Magnetics. Let me say that Earth magnets are not toys! I pinched my finger within the first minute trying to separate a grouping and this was after I read the warning about pinching digits! Anyway, I decided to use thin gauge strips of 1/2" wide brass, cut into 1/2" squares and then bent those squares in half. I used JB Weld to secure the brass hanger to the magnet and 16 hours later I am hanging a piece of art off of one of these tiny, mighty, magnets.

Instalation-Nation

This Sunday I'll be trekking down to Indianapolis for a week of unpacking, installing, exhibiting, striking, and packing again, something I've gained much experience doing over the years. I was awarded one of ten slots for Primary Colours event, Installation Nation. On a vacant lot at the corner of N. College and Michigan, metal shipping containers will be delivered and I'll get one 8' x 8' x 20' space to install my work. This is the tenth event that Primary Colours has hosted in a donated, vacant space. I'll be installing Mon-Thurs. with the event occurring Friday, June 5 from 6-11pm and Saturday, June 6 from 5-11pm. Take down happens Sunday. I'll be documenting the week and posting pics right here on my blog.

chairs, chairs, everywhere

Friday I drove to Coleman, MI to pick up a newly acquired ebay purchase... yes, another chair. On the way back along my woodsy journey I stopped in Evart, MI at a corner diner. While I waited for my meal I decided to write down all the chairs I've acquired over the past few years. I listed every potential space in my house: attic, 2nd floor, 1st floor, basement, and garage and proceeded to write down all the chairs that occupied my life. The final count... 22, and that includes my most recent purchase in the backseat of the car. Wow, twenty-two chairs. I didn't realize I had accumulated so many in such a short time. Where does this obsession with chairs originate from? I don't know. But, I do know they symbolize part of my need for a social space within my home. The more chairs I have, the more bodies I can accommodate. I think I need to have a chair party.

I've been chair hunting in my mind for what seems like years, though has only seriously (cash in hand) been about a year. The big purchase began with Design Within Reach. I'd been pining for the flight recliner ever since my friends purchased a matching pair 4 years ago and it was one chair that my partner (who has chronic lower back pain) could sit in, pain free. Let me remind you that trying to find a recliner that doesn't look like a recliner is next too impossible. There was a sale and free shipping...the time had finally come. The wait was over....well, after 7 more weeks post ordering, the chair in Fabric 2 - Morel, arrived. What happens after was one huge disappointment in DWR and their quality control. A lousy upholstery job and fabric flaws had us on the phone within minutes of it's arrival. Also, for the price one pays for a flight recliner I should not have to assemble it, the chrome legs came separate! After all was said and done the chair went back and a new one did not return.

The search continued. We thought about getting a matching chair for our sofa from room and board, but it did not have a higher back. In fact, as I became obsessed with looking at chairs I found there aren't any chairs with high backs. If I'm sitting and lounging, I want neck and head support. They just don't make furniture like they used to. I found a chair on craigslist that while not worth what I paid, sufficed for the time being. Now, I have finally found a good fit, an Eames style lounge without the hefty price tag. Don't get me wrong, if I had the means I would have an Eames Lounge in a Ivory/Walnut or Palisander combo in a heartbeat. I have several other Eames pieces that fit nicely in the house, but none that fit well into the living room. The chair I got is made by Cafemo. I have had very little luck finding out any information on this company other than the chair was made in Italy. It has a burnt orange leather with a chrome base AND a bonus over the Eames, tilt action. I do not feel like I'm slouching, as I sometimes feel in an Eames. The lever allows for a stationary position or an adjustable tilt. I do like the die-cast aluminum base on the Eames better, but I am not complaining becasue the chair was a steal. After I gave it a good leather cleaning and conditioning I went to town on the rest of the living room and got some more art hung. The grouping of four prints, l to r, top to bottom: Mike McGovern, Dellas Henke, Meghan Giless, Philip Stratton. Large scale drawing on right, Ryan VanderLey. Butt fart pillow, Ryan Greaves.