This month we had the chance to take the plunge into the exciting things that are happening with art in The Bahamas. Bryan and I traveled to Nassau to view "Transforming Spaces", a multi-gallery tour in its 10th anniversary year of showing great Bahamian art. This year the artists followed the theme of water to give the seven galleries a cohesion that seemed to elevate the individual pieces into a collective whole.

Bryan and I were pleasantly surprised to find contemporary art alive and thriving here. No more paintings of sea shells, lion fish, and happy representational beach scenes. More provocative images and sculptures were the norm. A vibrant new emerging group as well as the artists that paved the way for them were represented.

After much anticipation, obsessive watching of the clock as donors generously gave, being hopelessly attached to our devices (iPad, iPhone, laptop) and getting very little sleep...

we raised over $15,000!

Even though our goal with the Indiegogo campaign was to raise enough to account for the first artist bungalow, I am breathless at the generosity that got us to the 30% mark. It is very humbling to be cared for in such a way as people demonstrate via their piggy banks, their interest in our project as well as their faith in Bryan and I.

Very humbling indeed.

Needless to say we are SO grateful. The next few days and weeks will be filled with the creation of wonderful goodies (perks) like the Junk-a-New Jewelry, Island Treasures, Silver Earrings, and a boatload of thank-you cards. These will then be shipped out to all you lovely people who helped.

So we celebrate this milestone of a fairly respectable foundation for our first building. Thanks so much everybody! We will keep you posted as we continue to move forward.

Isolation + Concentration = Creation

More exploration into the world of artist residencies led us to The Banff Center. Art centers and residency programs come in a huge variety of sizes from single cabins to acres and acres, and The Banff Center leans into that second category. After being at Hui No’eau which was a good size, The Banff Center seemed almost overwhelming. But there was still something to learn there.

Location can help inspiration. And the views from The Banff Center were breathtaking. Wedged in the Rocky Mountains, it was hard not to have a reflective moment looking out onto nature. Even the artist studios seemed to have a bit of a view. Because Exnihilo is so vastly different in location you might think that we would have nothing in common, but on the contrary, there seems to be common factors because of the location. Isolation is one. Even though Banff is a city center, you do get a sense of isolation and removal from the world, and therefore a different perspective.

Everyone who has gotten away from their normal day-to-day activities whether as a vacation, or just a break knows that feeling of shifting gears. This downshifting is an important component to allowing reflection, and then focus. Sometimes we do not realize, until we have to down-shift how hard it actually is to slow down. An isolated location forces you into this less than comfortable mode, which is healthy for the creative spirit, and sometimes is where the real magic happens for an artist.

Along with launching our Indiegogo campaign, December has been chock full of more research as we fine tune our program to fit the restrictions of an island. We had the privilege of touring two fine establishments with wildly different approaches. The first one is Hui No'eau in the heart of the island of Maui.

Caroline Killhour, the executive director of Hui No'eau (means artistic alliance) graciously agreed to meet with us and share some wisdom from her years at this amazing art center.

I was immediately encouraged by her laid back demeanor. Running a center of this size has to be challenging, and the remote rural location means there are unique ways in which one brings art to the public. The facility, grounds, and programs were all impressive. What was really unique about the center is it was originally founded by a woman silversmith.

What are the odds of that?

What a treat to check out their studio space. Talk about the toys! While we were in the studio there were some high school age students working on various projects under a teacher's instruction. But what I really took note of is some of the facilities they had outside.

Most of their ceramics studios were open air with just an overhanging shelter. This is a similar concept we have for Exnihilo. We call it the ceramics courtyard and it will be constructed using recycled shipping containers. But being open the the elements raises certain problems that we wanted to address.

Other aspects of the grounds and facilities were the expanse. There were walking paths to studio and classroom spaces as well as the residency. The main building housed a reception area and a gallery (another things our plans have in common).

What was really great was the time that Caroline took to share some of what makes an art center like this important. Hui No'eau has a large education program that exposes children to different art forms that they wouldn't normally have exposure to.

Wow... again sound familiar?

Thanks again to Caroline for her graciously meeting with us and giving us input on what it is to run an art center "island style".

Check out more info about Hui No'eau.