Untethered Art

As an artist, I’ve always had to be flexible about the location of my work – for creating, showing and selling. Since my first exhibition in 1996 when I was still at Art School, I’ve shown my work at commercial art galleries, museums, art fairs, castles (yes, real ones), chapels, climbing festivals, and more.

In 1999 I opened my own stone and mortar gallery/open studio in a historic courtyard in Wales. It was my first taste of coworking since university. The exchange of ideas and camaraderie with artists and outdoors people was energizing and fun, but the seasonal flow of tourists meant that it was a ‘feast or famine’ business. Staying in one place helped me to grow a community of collectors, and people loved seeing how the art is made – but I realized too late that I need solitude to make art. I closed the business in 2005 and sold most of my possessions. I flew to Canada with a sketchbook, climbing shoes and no plan, beginning an exciting new life. Eventually I landed in South Lake Tahoe with my husband, who I met on the road and we started a family.

I continued to exhibit my work in all kinds of spaces here in the US (no castles though) However, curating, installing short-term exhibitions, traveling and promoting is exhausting work – and unsustainable, I’ve learned the hard way. I needed to find a better way to conduct my career. I never found a commercial gallery that was a good long-term fit, despite it seeming like the only option at times. I’m very independent, and need to create from a place of authenticity. I refuse to sell out by working in the latest fashion. Social media destroys my confidence and alters the way I literally see the world. I never sold anything from Instagram, yet there’s huge pressure on artists to become content creators. I have no interest in entertaining people with clever reels that suck up my time and creativity any more. My attention is not a commodity I want to sell. I need freedom to think deeply, evolve and grow. And since my dream art space doesn’t exist, I have to create one for myself.

The Nevada Gallery location at Untethered Mountain Inspired Workspace

So when Jamie and David Orr, founders of two local coworking spaces, offered me their walls, I saw an opportunity for the creating/showing/selling balance I’ve sought for decades. Both cowork buildings are close to home, and feature unique architecture and light that excite my artist/curator heart. The spaces visually quote details of modern museums, with brushed aluminum handrails, a mountain/outer space – inspired color palette, exquisite furniture and fixtures. Labyrinthine floor-plans offer a chance to create an experience like no other. It’s inspiring.

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Pablo Picasso

The dynamic of people moving around, working in different fields, charges the spaces with energy. Placing art in their workspace flow often stops people in their tracks, inviting them to pause and contemplate for a moment.

Dr. Jamie Orr presaged our partnership in 2021, when she wrote:

“Art is an important tool to inspire us, to help us understand our lives and the lives of others, our history, our cultures, our emotions – everything that makes up the human experience. In the words of the great artist, Pablo Picasso, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Part of our traditional everyday lives is the time spent at work, so why not include art in the workplace to help wash away the dust of work? Including art in workplace design goes well beyond finding a piece to match the couches. Being in the presence of art, particularly fine artworks, has been shown to benefit workers by doing everything from reducing stress and boosting creativity to inspiring conversations and increasing social engagement.”

_{It’s about the journey, not the destination}…_{Stairwells are dynamic spaces to hang art}.

Dr. Orr is a theoretical physicist, with a background in art history, entrepreneurship, community activism and business. We get on well, and our meeting of minds has generated some exciting ideas to engage the community in our endeavors. At the official openings of the two galleries, we are going to co-present talks on Art & Physics. These short (10 minute) presentations will explore subjects we are both passionate about from our interconnected, yet diverse perspectives. The first topic is light, and the second, gravity. Free to the public, we hope to generate a thought-provoking hub for the local art/mountain scene.

_{Thoughtful contemporary museum-inspired design at Untethered}

The balance feels right: my studio is at home, and my work is hung in two beautiful galleries, with QR codes on the tags so people can easily buy from my website if I’m not there. I offer a free delivery and installation service, or am close enough that a buyer can call me and I’ll come wrap the work before the end of the day.

Finally, I’m rolling out free guided tours for my collectors and the public, booked via my website. I make my guests a cup of tea or coffee in one of the thoughtfully stocked, high-end kitchens. It’s cozy and welcoming, like hanging out in a really cool shared house.

These are not public spaces. You can only access the building as a cowork pass holder or with me – so, crucially – I don’t need to be there all the time. The work is safe, and that means I am free to paint in solitude on days when I don’t offer tours.

When I do go in to the galleries, I weave my way through a community, and can have short, spontaneous conversations with interesting people when they’re taking a break. Those meaningful exchanges are connections I’d never make anywhere else.

Untethered, authentic and balanced. Finally, a sustainable way to live in the mountains, make art on my own terms, hang it museum-style — and sell it, without selling out.