Open Space for Arts & Community Launches Artist in Residence Program
Installation by Artist Julia Wilkins Opens February 3rd
OPEN SPACE FOR ARTS & COMMUNITY- From aerial dance festivals and burlesque shows to fundraisers, educational opportunities and drive-in movies, Open Space cherishes the opportunity to try something new. To kick off 2022, Open Space is thrilled to continue this tradition with the launch of a new artist in residency program. Open Space and inaugural artist in residence Julia Wilkins are proud to present Solitude_The Exhibition. The installation will open on February 3rd and continue through February 6th. For a listing of specific installation hours and times when Julia Wilkins will be on site, Islanders are encouraged to visit openspacevashon.com
Informed by her background in dance, dance theater, and aerial harness, Julia began her career after graduating from Tisch School of the Arts. Along with performing arts, Wilkins works as a designer, knitter, and sculptor, and interweaves these diverse disciplines throughout her installations as her way of relating to the world. Through an invitation for intimacy and beauty, she hopes to open the way for an inclusive world, based on the physical connection between humanity and its environment.
In August of 2019, Wilkins worked with a team of artists to create Solitude_Live at the Catskill Art Society in New York. Solitude_Live was an interdisciplinary event. Sculptures, fabric, light, music, film and the movement of four dancers embodied the sensations of journeying toward oneness with others, the struggle for unity, and an expression of sensuality seen through the veil of solitude.
While visiting family on Vashon Island, WA, Wilkins visited Open Space for Arts & Community. Striking up a conversation with Open Space programming director David Godsey last summer, they realized Open Space could offer the vast physical space and broader support she needed to bring a reimagining of Solitude_Live to the island.
According to Godsey, the collaboration was obvious from the start. “The way Julia spoke of her work and of this piece in particular struck me as profoundly relevant to our current cultural concerns. Her work is an exciting mix of diverse artistic mediums – it is deeply impactful”. Godsey added that “this residency is a beautiful start to our ongoing full residency program. We are creating a program that welcomes artists not just from Vashon and the Northwest but from around the world.”
Work on the installation began in early January and continues until February. Solitude_The Exhibition is a large-scale installation that takes three sculptures from Solitude_Live and incorporates them into an immersive maze of sculptures, the projection of Solitude_The Film, and footage of the original performance. Wilkins describes the installation as an enchanting invitation. “The Exhibition will invite you to walk through an intimate landscape of sculpted bodies, with film of dance and the music of Qasim Naqvi, together meant to awaken a sense of connection in isolation.”
Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to experience this installation in person from 4-8pm on February 3rd, 6-9pm on February 4th for Vashon’s First Friday art walk, and 1-4pm on February 5th and 6th. Admission is free and donations are accepted to assist the artist to cover costs. Masks are required for all visitors. Doors will be open to allow for improved airflow. Please stay home if you are experiencing COVID symptoms or if you have been exposed to someone who is. Learn more about how to see the installation in person or online by visiting OpenSpaceVashon.com, or learn more about the artist by visiting JuliaWilkins.com
Learn more about how to see the installation in person or online by visiting OpenSpaceVashon.com, or learn more about the artist by visiting JuliaWilkins.com.
We have just received news of an anonymous $500 match to donations for Julia’s project. Click the button below to donate directly to Julia and double your gift to cover some of the costs of this incredible work!
COMMENTS