More on its way in The West Bottoms from 50/50 KC
Recently I sat down with two members of the soon-to-be-built West Bottoms gallery, 50/50.
Founder and Curator Cambria Potter and Curator Hannah Lodwick are both young women,
visual artists, curators, and entrepreneurs active in community outreach. I wanted to get
more information about what they are doing and how this project will move forward
50/50 ‘s logo
Melaney Mitchell: The name 50/50, where did it come from?
Cambria Potter: Originally we came up with the idea of showing half local and half national
artists. With that we also knew that this would be a group effort relying on more than just one
entity, and instead emphasizing collaboration. We kept calling it 50/50 and it evolved into
not only the concept of the space but the name. With four equivalent programming platforms
featuring national and local artists.
Hannah Lodwick: The name also plays into almost everything. The building is two shipping
containers side-by-side, it will appear as two things becoming one. Our exhibitions are
complemented by our digital archive, our lecture series complemented by billboard series.
Cambria Potter: With our mission of broadening Kansas City’s art audience, 50/50 made
sense as well in answering a question of “how do we make this digestible?” If you don’t have
the art vocabulary, knowing there will be local and national artists present as well as more
than one person behind the whole thing it makes it more digestible and easy to understand
Why the west bottoms?
HL: I feel like the West Bottoms is a really important area as far as architecture and urban
planning because it is a largely commercial vacant area with unused property. We feel as far
as 50/50 goes, it’s important to activate unused urban space. In the West Bottoms, space is
plentiful for us to inhabit a lot that is normally used once a year for American Royal parking.
The secondary answer to that is the West Bottoms is an important arts district in Kansas City.
They are really at a tipping point with the addition of Bill Brady, Bill Haw, and Plug Projects.
With one more gallery down there, it can become more of a destination and a hub I think
thats important for us as a gallery.
CP: The west bottoms being more desolate is really important in the use of shipping
containers – that is not arbitrary- if you visit the West Bottoms that is something you will see
on the railroads, sitting on lots, etc. While we’re activating the lot it doesn’t go against the
already existing landscape.
MM: West bottoms vs. The Crossroads: Why do you think there is a movement away
from the Crossroads and into the West Bottoms?
HL: I wouldn’t say there is a movement away from the crossroads, they are just two separate
districts. They both aren’t fully realized and great institutions like Arts KC are moving down
there and I think it has a lot to offer and is a great neighborhood. Most great art cities have
multiple voices and neighborhoods, the West Bottoms just adds a complementary
perspective. The crossroads is great as they promote First Fridays and they incorporate
more performers, and other arts related events like the 18th street fashion show. The West
Bottoms currently is a little more streamlined toward visual art.
CP: I don’t have too much to add, but as an observer and an artist in Kansas city one can
look at property values in the crossroads. It has sprawled, grown and become a very rich
art’s community, thus rent has gone up. That cost may be less feasible for younger emerging
artists and curators to get space there.
Cambria Potter, founder and curator of 50/50
MM: What makes kc different from other arts communities in other cities that you’ve
been in?
CP: One of the reasons 50/50 was conceived, Kansas City is overwhelmingly supportive of
local startups and entrepreneurs. Our arts community is very diverse and I think that being
an outsider from Texas is big deal. I have been here going on 7 years and it doesn’t phase
anyone that I’m not from here, instead I am given same support as a local. For me, there
isn’t as much of an attitude of walking over each other and competitiveness that seems to
exist on the coasts. Instead its an attitude of how can we better serve one another.
HL: Kansas City is also up and coming, less associated with the arts and being a small city,
property values are low and we can take advantage of our resources here. The task of
starting a gallery here is so much more financially accessible.
MM: What made you want to stay in Kansas City?
HL: For me, there was no other option, I didn’t consider moving or going away. Kansas City
is the city I want to be in for the arts. Similarly to the Crossroads being different from the
West Bottoms, there are different areas residentially that are growing. I moved out of
midtown to the northeast and to me, it is a truer, more genuine part of the city. While I did
stay in Kansas City moving neighborhoods was important to me.
CP: I’m here for a long haul too. I love Kansas City, I moved here from Texas and I think
aside from the arts community and embracing whats here and what I’m doing, there are a lot
of great people in Kansas City and my motivation to stay is I am invested.
MM: What kind of work are you hoping to show?
HL: As far as our mission goes, it’s important for us to show a diverse arts constituency. I
don’t think were going to continue to show just one medium, were going to try and hit the
whole gamut; people painting, sculpting, new media artists etc. It is important for us to show
young, to emerging, and mid career artists. As far as exhibition voices go we’re going to be
at the younger end of the spectrum. We’re not interested in showing already established
local and national artists who are constantly showing. Instead were interested in those artists
who have not been exhibited and who are not currently given opportunities.
CP: Not only that but it’s important to not pigeonhole emerging as young. There are plenty of
people emerging at all points in their lives. Additionally we want to have a strong relationship
with artists we show, were are going to ask them to push the envelope with how they want
to utilize our space and the artists they’re engaging with while they’re showing with us.
HL: Our first exhibition Cohost talks about that as well.
Hannah Lodwick, Curator at 50/50
MM: What is that first exhibition going to be?
CP: Cohost will be a great way for us to showcase what 50/50 is all about. It will be an
annual reoccurring show. As we are 50/50, we will always have one local and one national
artist. The theme of this show is about highlighting the half digital / half physical
representation of art and artists.
HL: Our first exhibition falls within the framework of Cohost which is reoccurring. This
January we will be exhibiting Kristin Walsh, she is a New York and North Carolina based
artist and a recent graduate. Her work is installation based work acrylic mirrored forms, that
are physical, with videos of google street view projected onto it. It is important for us in this
first exhibition to really portray what we are about. Once we pin down our local artist, both
will be using digital and physical forms simultaneously. Our exhibitions are our physical
manifestation of the work, for a local audience who can easily access the show. What is also
important for us is being relevant on a national scale. The digital archive will document the
exhibition, show our research and articles related to the exhibition, that are both art and not
art related. This is where we hope our national audience will be reached.
MM: Why shipping containers?
CP: Originally with this idea our business plan was how can we create a sustainable model
so our community can rely on us to be around. That way it doesn’t have to be so hard as a
young person starting something new. Shipping containers have been something we had
been interested in for awhile as an alternative building material. As far as building something
that is physically sustainable its going to be a really good way for us to not have the utility
bills and annual overhead other galleries have to deal with. Alternative energy will allow us
to eliminate the need for an electric bill.
HL: In addition, it mimics the west bottoms neighborhood currently. Its a heavily
industrialized area currently with railroads intersecting and I think its important for us to
reflect that. Kansas City has a great arts community, which is a known fact now. Each gallery
has a different voice or space, like SUB for instance, challenging the notion of white cube in
a residential space. However there isn’t an alternative outside an already created building
represented currently in Kansas City. We hope this can be a model for other shipping
container gallery projects.
MM: In terms of the shipping container and logistics – solar power – will that power
heat, a restroom, and ventilation?
CP: Yes, in terms of what we plan to use in the space, and an HVAC system will all be
generated on solar energy. We won’t need a bathroom as far as our classification goes with
codes, due to the small square footage.
HL: We also want to focus on making the West Bottoms a destination. Gallery goers were
piggybacking off of many different gallery openings on Third Friday, it isn’t about us as a
singular destination. Like what Vladimir was saying in our Kickstarter video – its not building
that creates community, its bringing people and events to the area. We are a hub and in a
larger conversation with the galleries around us.
MM: Are you hoping to sync up with Third Fridays?
CP: Right now, for the first year we have Second Fridays allotted, but that is something we
have discussed with Haw/Contemporary and Plug Projects.
MM: How will you be modifying the shipping containers? Will you have natural light in
the gallery, modifying the containers?
HL: There will be natural light. It is two side-by-side containers. There is an inset for a glass
door entrance and exit. In addition to the natural light we plan to have fluorescent and spot
lighting as well.
MM: Will these be two different rooms or will they be connected? Is your curatorial
mission to have exhibitions separated by the architecture?
CP: I think the icon of two shipping containers relates to the theme of 50/50 but what
happens inside will challenge and blur the lines of how the artwork is displayed. The curation
will change per exhibition
HL: It’s also important for us to bring local and national not as a divisive measure but instead
as a unifying and cross collaborative measure.
MM: Are you working with an architecture firm to build?
CP: We’ve collaborated with Kansas City Design Center – which is six architecture students
who recently graduated from KU or K-State. They completed the design of the space and a
handful have stayed on to see through construction and assist with that. We are working with
them on construction timeline now as August is our tentative date for having the containers
dropped.
HL: I think it’s important for us to promote emerging people like us who haven’t been
exposed yet. The KCDC are people that have masters degrees but haven’t seen a space
into fruition so were able to help them with that. While we each have have curatorial
experience this is the first independent project doing that so its exciting. Brigade who
produced our video is yet another startup taking risks to do things on their own that we want
to support.
MM: What is the plan for sustainability and why is that important?
CP: As far as sustainability goes I have had a lot of people say “sustainable, oh that’s trendy”
but no, it’s smart. You have to consider how what you’re doing is going to impact your
community and your environment. For us, since were making a commitment to Kansas City
and national audiences to stick around and be a gallery to facilitate new conversations and
reach new audiences. We want to reach outside of those communities already coming to arts
events, open it up so it is digestible for people who don’t feel comfortable looking at artwork.
We want them to know this hasn’t been done by the seat of our pants if they’re committed to
us we’ll have something in the future, as we won’t have to deal with the same financial
problems.
HL: It is also a devise too for us to be able to not worry about rent or utilities 80 % of budget
goes right toward artists. The sustainability is a tool to support the arts for a longer time.
CP: Containers also have a 15-20 year lifespan, they’re weather and fire proof. It makes the
construction a bit easier.
50/50 prototype for the Digital Archive and its subsequent physical publication
MM: Tell me more about the digital archive, do you think this is a model other galleries
can follow?
HL: Well we’re already following a model that has been set. We are following a more
institutional archive situation. The New Museum and the MOMA have fabulous archives and
Charlotte Street had the frontier archive of 2012. While these larger institutions have done
archives it hasn’t been done on a smaller gallery scale. Also for us, its about building an
archive and working with the community to have response and make it as active as possible.
We have talked about things like forums, qr codes, q and a’s, maybe even a wiki page format
to make it as active as possible on a national and local scale.
CP: One of the first conversations we had was regarding online presence. The internet at
large is one of the biggest ways of communicating with your audience. Lets look at other
spaces we admire – what are they doing well with online presence in general we wanted to
push the envelope and be more than just a process blog. We wanted to supply our
audiences with more information and give them the opportunity to contribute- that way it
becomes a dialogue.
HL: Our mission is to activate art audiences that are less comfortable with the arts. A lot of
times people will come to an opening and ask “What does that mean” We hope that we can
be less linear supply them with the archive. It gives people the tools to learn more about art
and allows them to make discoveries.
CP: It’s a lot less formal. Some people are introverted and want to approach something that’s
less intimidating. they can approach larger topics without a one on one in person discussion.
MM: How is the digital archive being built?
HL: It will be built and hosted through collective access- a cataloging system for museums.
That is spearheaded through Becca May our Programmer and Linux Administrator. It will be
built as a server, that were ready to order and it can host 100 people at a time – with room
for expansion. As far as reaching national audiences, that will be on our marketing end. Kelly
Lopez our digital marketer is trying to configure times of day and hash-tags and national
scalability
CP: Our strategy to reach a larger audience is Kickstarter, its all about community outreach
and the larger internet ether of supporters. When you start something is smart to consider
who is the audience, everyone needs to be on board from the beginning. Were hoping we
will tell people what were doing and those who are interested will be there to support us.
MM: How do you envision audience interaction?
HL: it allows for a lot of different types of interaction as its not just going to be a feed, there
will be several different types of interaction and it allows for a multiplicity in participation. As
long as its a platform for research and learning, it would be great.
CP: The model were using will morph into the what the users want it to be. The archive is
one of the more flexible programming that we have that is accessible for contribution
content and more bundled into one. My goal is that its activated, that people use it.
MM: Coming from the idea of the archive, what is the importance of
accessibility/transparency in curatorial practice?
CP: For me my background comes from the working within the community for Kansas City
Art Institute. I work for the continuing education department doing community outreach arm
of the college. I am in a setting where i am having to articulate larger art concepts in a way
that people can understand them. As far as reaching new audiences there are a lot of people
who will say “i don’t get it” whether its a museum or elsewhere. For me new audiences
becomes an important personal goal to be welcoming, through accessibility
HL: Non-forced ways of participation are important to us. We are open to other communities
but are by no means forcing their participation I think that the arts function best when they
are activating people who normally feel excluded from the arts. We want to be an open arm
establishment to help others understand art
CP: And as our lectures evolve there are opportunities to facilitate new audiences through
who we bring in to speak, and who we bring in to moderate.
HL: You’ll see that also in our exhibitions to come next year. There are non art opportunities
were going to take advantage things associated as non art or not created by an artist
MM: Will you be using your rocket grant funds also to fund the Gallery?
CP: The rocket grant proposal in general was half and half – so building and construction
and the other half is reserved for programming artist stipends and etc. The Kickstarter, is for
the bigger picture we need the money upfront in order to secure things, solar panels etc to
get the building constructed. $10,000 to build a building sounds crazy – what we’ve had
donated, and what were going to choose to buy, we will be doing most work ourselves but
things like electrical or other nitty gritty things. 80% of our budget going to artists, and this
crowd funding will afford us a clean start. Then we will publish a book of the digital archive
annually to raise our programming funds. With the rocket grant its important as artists in the
community to reach out and let them know what you’re doing and the support of those
organizations vote of confidence you need for others to see you
MM: With the digital archive book what is most important?
HL: Its important for us to remain accessible, while we may sell a physical copy of the book,
the information -as the online archive- will not go away. The book is a way to say “I support
50/50” It is a different relationship between something endlessly scroll-able, versus
something that exists between two covers.
CP: Also if you’re a member who participates in the archive, the book as a curated form of
the archive, will reinforce the online community we work to develop. It is exciting that it will
function as a physical copy of the work culminating in the past year.
50/50 is currently in the midst of crowd funding this project through Kickstarter. To support
this project and help them reach their goal, visit
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/5050kc/50-50-kc and become a backer. To find out
more information about 50/50 you can visit their website at http://www.5050kc.com/