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I did an arts festival as a non-pro artist and here’s how it went
June through August of this year, I spent a ton of time prepping for an arts festival called The Paseo in Taos, NM that happened on September 16th and 17th. I was originally supposed to present in 2020 but then…well, you know. And then in 2021, well…you know.
But this year thousands of people descended into the center of Taos to look at art by amazing artists from all over the world.
And me. I was also there.
So how did this happen, what did I make, what did I learn, and why was this a super hard and also super rewarding experience for me?
How did I get here?
Submitting
It’s 2019. It genuinely feels like I can do anything. I’m a first year graduate student at the MIT Media Lab, doing work around identity, projection, lighting, and computer vision. I decide, at the suggestion of a then post doc (now Professor!) Dr Dan Novy to submit part of my thesis work to an arts festival in Taos, New Mexico. A bunch of Burning Man people are going. Lots of cool artists have been before.
The festival accepts me! Awesome! I am going to find a way to use this data in my thesis. AND have some fun presenting in the American Southwest! What a great deal. I have MIT’s full support.
Cancellation (times two)
Then well, the Media Lab sort of implodes, my advisor is fired, and I graduate with a totally different thesis and don’t continue to PhD during a pandemic. The festival is of course canceled in 2020 with plans for going in 2021.
In 2021 July, I move across the country to Seattle, WA to start a job at Redfin because girlie needs to make rent and pay off some grad school credit card debt. But along with all of my things, I also bring matierals for my project. My friend Simon and his partner are going to come to New Mexico with me in September 2021 to help me put the exhibit on. It’s perfect! What a fun trip!
2021, Delta surges and Paseo cancels again.
We still go to New Mexico, since the festival lets the artists keep the initial deposits and we have flights + hotels booked. Honestly? It was an amazing trip and one of the…
