After the early closure of my InTouch exhibit due to campus-wide COVID-19 precautions and County Shelter in Place Orders I was at a loss. What was meant to be a six-month-long exhibition was closed after 8 weeks— after over two years of work, truly countless hours, and the help of community members. At first there was some hope that the Artist Talk would still happen in April, or that the show could reopen before its planned closure in June… but this pandemic and its effects continue. After feeling pretty down and stuck for a while, I started putting together some footage of the show… and that made a real difference.
I had been taking photos and recording video throughout the making process, and when I started reviewing, organizing, and editing together the footage it reminded me of how much good came of the process, not just the exhibition results. I love making. I love the problem-solving of using a new material, or using an old material in a new way. I love the hands-on labor of making something tangible. I learned through InTouch that I love having people help and collaborate. InTouch was a daunting and exciting challenge, and reviewing all that went into it made me proud.
I am very grateful that I was able to take photos and videos of the finished show while it was on view, and I’m also grateful to the many friends who generously shared their footage for my use. What started off as a small project grew into a 40-minute-long video documenting the whole project, from the idea through making to the finished work. I tried to make it as short as possible while still communicating what I considered essential. I also edited together virtual walk-throughs of the two galleries of work, with my son Alex as a helpful model.
I put a lot of hours into editing, had to learn (or in some cases re-learn) software, and upgrade my poor little computer’s memory— but the making of the documentary was therapeutic. It was so good to be reminded of all the positives that came of InTouch, and continue to come of it.
If you’d like to see the results, you can visit my YouTube channel (youtube.com/c/StephanieMetzSculpture) to see the Artist Talk (offered as one long video or in 3 parts) as well as the two video tours through the Hanging Pods and the Holdables to get a visual sense of the experience.
Enjoy, and share it if you like it!