The Beauty Of Failing

Mock-Up Of My Wooden Print Series for the Redmond Airport

I have experienced a lot of rejection over the years, from galleries, shows, scholarships and more. Earlier this year, I got an email in my inbox stating that the Redmond Airport was looking for art in their new expansion. I was excited about the opportunity and also knew it was a risk. But I decided to go ALL IN. I spent a lot of time on this project. The design concept took about 7 hours, the in-person meeting ate up about 2 hours, and the application took about 25 hours all in. So we're talking about a 34-hour project to put your presentation into the hands of a jury who may just decide you're not the right fit because you hadn't done a prior civic public installation.

What many people who love my art don't know is that art installations aren't necessarily chosen on the "best fit" or most creative idea. Often it's decided based on whether someone has prior experience doing public civic installations. Lucky or unlucky for me, I have never been chosen for one. Have I done public art installations? Yes, my golly, I have done it ALL. I've been hanging art in large installs for a decade, adding my art to murals in apartment buildings, hanging art in over 50 venues around Central Oregon, Seattle and Palm Springs. But is that enough for a jury? No. A jury is often looking for someone with prior experience specifically in an airport, a government-affiliated building, or a nonprofit.

I consider this gatekeeping even if it's written in fancy terms. And I'm keenly aware of it, because I have intentionally built an art business that shatters that perspective. You don't need to live by the old rules of the art world to be a successful artist. I am rogue when it comes to putting my art out there. I've popped up in unexpected places. I've had the best and worst shows of my life. And honestly? That's exactly what I want to talk about. The art of failure. Recognizing that failure is a gentle redirect, and thanking it for showing up. I do this every time. I take the worst days of my business and make them the best days. I begin again. I open the next door, because I know if that last door didn't open, something else will.

So without further ado. I will be introducing a new series of wood panel artworks that were part of my vision for this airport project, because I don't just make art to be judged; I make art because I had an inkling that it needed to go out into the universe. I get downloads of things I need to make, and this is something I know in my gut I want to create. Be on the lookout for a new wood panel series coming this early summer, titled "Portals To Wild."

Mt. Bachelor Design For Redmond Airport