Art Stream Nomadic Gallery
Excerpted from an article written by Buck Buttons
Carbondale, CO
Title: “Artstream Nomadic Gallery”
Artstream Nomadic Gallery is a 30-foot 1967 Airstream Sovereign Land Yacht travel trailer that was completely remodeled into an exhibition space in 2001 by Alleghany Meadows and a group of fellow committed artists, including Christa Assad, Nancy Barbour, Andy Brayman, Steven Colby and Sam Harvey. Based in Carbondale, CO, during the past 9 years it has logged over 100,000 miles and presented more than 150 exhibitions, from L.A. to N.Y.C., Houston to Minneapolis, putting contemporary ceramic art on the street and connecting people with art.
When asked about the history of the project, Alleghany says, “It was originally conceived as a way to exhibit and sell work by a small group of studio potters, but it has evolved into a larger project. While continuing to be a venue for studio pots, a part of the operating mission has become outreach, where art is presented in accessible and varying contexts, engaging audiences that might not otherwise choose to interact with art.” While on tour, Artstream is hosted by diverse venues, from contemporary art museums to colleges and universities, galleries, conferences, art centers, street fairs, working studios and private homes. It is also an anchor exhibitor at the Aspen, Colorado, Farmers Market each Saturday during the summer, connecting studio pottery with farming and an audience that supports local endeavors. It effectively serves as an entry into to the art world for a broad audience, and visitors are able to meet artists who are represented in the exhibitions.
Artstream is a mobile aesthetic experience. Exhibitions are curated to highlight a wide range of creative utilitarian work, from artists such as Christa Assad, Andy Brayman, Steven Colby, Michael Connelly, Josh DeWeese, John Gill, Ayumi Horie, Simon Levin, Andrew Martin, Alleghany Meadows, Lorna Meaden, Lisa Orr, Elizabeth Robinson and Tara Wilson, to name just a few of the many who have exhibited over the 9 years. The work exhibited encompasses the breadth of processes and aesthetics currently being explored by the field. The exhibitions also serve as a travelling research library, and are especially poignant for potters and students who do not otherwise have access to such work.
A group of artists form the core of the collaborative efforts, travelling, doing publicity, packing and setting up exhibitions, arranging parking permits, scouting locations, teaching workshops, giving lectures, and repairing the 42 year old trailer while on the road. “It’s a bit like being a musician on tour, with a different venue each couple of days, meeting lots of great people, and long drives between gigs,” says Alleghany Meadows. “It makes pottery cool, in the bigger culture,” according to Lisa Orr, who organized the venue at an Austin, Texas, First Friday event, parked on Congress Ave across from the hip music scene at the Continental Club. “It is like a pottery dispensing machine, like for pez candy,” remarked Dan Anderson, at an NCECA conference. “It's like the old days when the milk man used to bring the chocolate milk right to my parents' front door! How can you resist?" writes Christa Assad, one of the core collaborators.
In researching this article, I spoke with Andy Brayman, founder of the Matter Factory, Kansas City, and an integral corroborator with Artstream. About the project, Andy says, “Personally, I've always loved how the Artstream has extended the creative act for us as potters. It takes the "marketplace", which is generally seen as a necessary evil (among artists), and turns it into something that can be a canvas for our creative impulses and ideas. Most potters have a sort of "set list"… forms that they make, functions that they tackle… vases, mugs, plates, teapots. Well, looking back on the Artstream, I can say that when Alleghany first talked about his idea, that is when I started viewing my "set list" as including concepts related to the marketplace. Tour planning, advertising, pricing, display… the whole experience became something to create and explore. I think we all know that potters are immensely creative and there have been many potters that have done similarly creative things with how their pieces make it out into the world, but the Artstream has been such a great example of a hair-brained idea that has been able to become a sustainable venue without sacrificing any of the craziness. As potters, it is fitting that this creation takes place in a series… each year, the Artstream changes… the potters change a bit and Alleghany's vision broadens to include different venues and approaches.“
