Many thanks to everyone who was able to make it out to The Arts Center in Orange for the exhibition of My Suburban Life: A Year in Collage. It was so gratifying to see all fifty-two collages hanging together in this lovely space. The Arts Center has been wonderful to work with and I am very grateful for the support of Laura Thompson, the Gallery Director, who invited me to exhibit here. The show was curated by my dear friends and mentors, Pam Black and Theo van Groll, from the UVa School of Architecture. Their vision for the exhibition installation was in perfect keeping with the spirit of the project: a slow linear unfolding over time, with gentle sight-line shifts that reflect the changing of seasons or the delineations that arose naturally through color and theme. The panels were not hung flush to the wall like traditional paintings. Instead, they were set out from the wall to emphasize the tactile, three-dimensional nature of the collages.
It was important to me to include some text in this exhibition and share the stories behind each collage. The practice of writing each week became such a large part of the project and its process, so I was determined to present the text in way that would highlight the relationship between words and pictures. I experimented with different ways to present the text without interrupting the visual flow of the images on the wall. I decided to create small 5 x 7 cards for each collage. A text excerpt from the accompanying essay for each collage was printed on one side, and a small detail image from the collage was printed on the other. The cards were separated into six groups that corresponded to the linear groupings of the collages on the wall, and were bound with a simple ring in the corner. Gallery visitors were welcomed to read through the cards at their leisure, or carry them around the gallery to read as they viewed the works. I also included an introductory wall-mounted text describing the goals of the project at its inception, and a quote that captured the spirit of My Suburban Life.
Photo by John Strader
Here are some more photos of the Opening Reception on April 4th. Many thanks to John Strader for documenting the event and generously sharing his photos!
The artist points to a collage that depicts her family on an autumn hike. Photo by John Strader
The artist and her son. Photo by John Strader
Opening Reception at the Arts Center in Orange. Photo by John Strader
Photo by John Strader
Photo by John Strader
Photo by John Strader
My Suburban Life 
So beautiful! Glad you shared for those of us who weren’t able to be there in person. All the best to you and yours, Kathryn
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Thank you Kathryn! It has really meant a lot to me to know that friends are out there reading the blog and following the project. Best to you and your family!
Beautiful exhibition!
Thanks so much Inese! I appreciate you following along through the process!
Oh my lordy – this post brings me SO MUCH JOY to see!!! Having watched your journey and now to see it all in an exhibit displayed so beautifully… this is truly inspiring for me. I’m still awaiting the day I have an exhibit of my own – but seeing it happen for you with pieces of your life and story makes me believe even more. Thank you for that ❤
Thanks so much! Your turn is just around the corner. Keep creating and believing in yourself!