Yesterday we took down the Imagination Squared exhibit. Since early March this project captivated the arts community in Jacksonville and brought together thousands of people in one collaborative project. The idea was brilliant. On September 1, Imagination Squared!: A Creative Response Experimentopened at MOCA Jacksonville to a record crowd. I will never forget that night. The museum was packed and the energy was high. We had spent the previous 2 weeks in D-day mode, preparing for the event, hanging the exhibit, printing nametags and legends, and completing the artist catalog that appeared in Arbus magazine. Overall a highlight in my artistic career. Through this project I've met so many wonderful people - artists, arts supporters, organizations - all who have a common love of the arts and an interest in making Jacksonville a better place through the arts. I've also gained some insight about what interests me and how I can contribute my skills to helping others. It's not often when we can engage in something where we can learn more about ourselves. I'm thankful for those times.
I thought taking down the exhibit would be emotional for me. It was but in a way that I did not expect. I felt good to know that I was part of perhaps a rebirth in an arts movement in Jacksonville. What if this was a tipping point, a needed push of momentum that would inspire others to move forward with their projects? And a needed point of awareness for the public to know that the arts community is something to be watched. For me it has. So it is onwards to different things. I'm excited!