Inspiration Story — One More Time

Travel can lead your inspiration down unexpected roads, and your work can 
end up in a remarkable destination.
In 2012 my husband and I visited Iceland. While there, we went to a restaurant that was located in an old farmstead, which had been owned by the same family for generations. The restaurant was fascinating, and the food was delicious. In fact, our lunch was so yummy that we went back again for dinner. There were old books on each table of the upstairs dining room. Inside the books were photographs and stories about the owners of the farm. Books were also utilized as menus for the evening meals.  I was charmed by these creative ideas using books.

Fast-forward several months, and I was asked to participate in a show to commemorate the Holocaust. Those books from the restaurant in Iceland had stuck in my mind. As a result, I made the decision to use books for "Treatise," my Holocaust commemorative art installation. "Treatise" has been displayed at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, and also at Temple B'nai Shalom in Fairfax, Virginia. Now, it is on view at the Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley Center in Washington, D.C. with other art in the exhibition entitled "Artists At Work." I have included images of "Treatise" as it looks at the Smithsonian, and other art that is also on view until May 1, 2015 in the same show.

Sherry Winkelman's quilt entitled "Interchange" is described here:"I am the technical lead for the data archive for Nasa's Chandra x-ray telescope. The primary function of the Chandra Data Archive is data recovery and dissemination, making Chandra data available to astronomers around the world. In this quilt, I began with an image of a highway interchange, replacing cars with computer chips and other components to represent data and science flowing between the archive and researchers."

Danny Robbins' lovely wooden stool was made using magnolia wood from a tree in the front yard of his first home, while the persimmon foot rest was from a tree in his grandmother's backyard. He states that working at the Museum of American History has inspired him to look at his own past.

As you can see, the artists were free to submit any medium of their choosing. Our inspirations were as varied as the media incorporated in the work. So, when looking for inspiration, you can look no further than your own office or backyard, and for fun, you can find inspiration far from home!
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