Like many of us, during covid I developed strong connections with my online community and as we eased out of isolation it seemed to me there may be a need for artists to gather in person to engage in critical conversations in which we get to talk about art and art making with like minded creatives. After all, given how thirsty I was for this sort of connection, I thought maybe other artists in my area might be thirsty too?
In 2023 we met for the first time and I remember being so grateful to get this thing I called Art Lab up and running. Keeping my eye open for interesting bits of information, using writing exercises and artist led discussion to interrogate various topics, the group meets monthly for supportive and engaging talk fests. We’re now in our second year and Art Lab is going strong, new friendships have been made and there is a safe place for us all to dive in to a deep discussion about all things art related.
I have continued to document the process, the exercises, the discussions and am planning on developing and distributing a program outline, including links and resources, so that other groups can get together and create their own art labs should they wish. Watch this space…