Sometimes a little nudge is all that it takes.
A few months ago I the senior program manager at Jack’s Urban Meeting Place (JUMP) a colossal community center in the heart of downtown Boise, ID. We were both at artists meet-up. I was sharing about a transition in my work that I felt was happening. He was sharing about a residency opportunity at his organization. We chatted after the meet-up. Having spent time on the east coast, he resonated with what I had shared. Having a need for time and space and resources, I was interested in the residency opportunity. We agreed to meet later.
A few weeks later I toured the massive structure that is JUMP. It is home to a huge ballroom, additional meeting spaces, a fully stocked maker studio, video production studio, dance studio, and more. I learned that the residency program would provide each resident with space to work, access to all the other spaces, for the development of a project. There were only two requirements: a work-in-progress showing, and a final presentation of whatever I made.
I was interested.
I proposed something I had never attempted before – an interactive installation. I said that I would build an interactive tap dance floor that anyone could learn to use. The proposal process was unique, asking for a poster proposal with supplemental descriptions rather than the other way around. This is what I submitted: