Sparks of Curiosity and Wonder
Some of the things inspiring me as we transition from summer to fall...
August has been a busy month of packing, preparation and transition for my family and for me. Looking around my studio, I still have tote bags and boxes of materials I packed for time away; it is time for some unpacking both literally and metaphorically.
This Friday I will travel to Charlottesville for the opening of Teeny Tiny Trifecta at Second Street Gallery. It’s the first time I have been in a group exhibit in several years and my first time exhibiting at this gallery. I’m intrigued by the size limit theme and look forward to seeing the collection and meeting other artists.
You can preview and purchase work in the exhibit through the online store here.
I look forward to a return to routine and more frequent writing this fall starting in September.
In the meantime, here are a few things that have been inspiring me and sparking curiosity and wonder:
Pulling Together: What stories remain untold on the National Mall?
Interactive Monuments in Washington DC, an Exhibit on the National Mall through September 18, 2023.
Chad and I spent the afternoon in Washington D. C. on August 18 to visit these temporary interactive monuments. As someone who has lived most of my life outside D. C., I hadn’t realized how finished the mall and its monuments can seem. These pieces highlight the way stories interact and invite participation and interaction among visitors. They incorporate sound, visuals, performance, play, history and stories.
Click here to view the complete exhibit guide as a PDF. It contains information about the artists and exhibits as well as history of the National Mall.
For children, there is an Activity Booklet designed to go along with the Pulling Together Exhibit. It can be accessed digitally here and is available from guides stationed at the exhibits each day from noon to 7 pm. The exhibit runs through September 18, 2023.
Additionally, Monument Lab Field Trip Guide created for Monument Lab by Super Nature Adventures can be used in any setting where you might want to do a deeper inquiry into monuments around you and what they mean.
My favorite is page 6 of the Field Trip Guide. Readers are invited to notice a monument with a single person on a pedestal. In cirlces all around this monument, there is space to write names of people who would have helped this person be who they were and do what they did to be memorialized in this way. I find this such a powerful reminder of community and connection.
Close to Home: Observing Butterflies, Caterpillars, and Chrysallises
As my sunflowers have dried and faded, they make room for the tithonia flowers that grow on stalks like small trees and continue to bloom through the first frost in October or November. They are favorites of butterflies and bees:
Mid-August is when I see my first monarch caterpillars each year. This is my fourth summer watching the magic of their growth and transformation. It is an honor to host and obeserve their metamorphosis.
I would love to hear what is sparking curiosity and wonder for you as summer comes to an end too.
Thank you for reading and being a part of creative community through this newsletter.
With a grateful heart,
Kathryn
One excellent way to support this work is to share with friends.
We are enjoying raising and observing and releasing monarch butterflies at school . It is a joy. I am also noticing the beauty and peculiarities in my neighborhood.