A Pop-Up Gallery Springs to Life
Supported by the Lyons Arts Lab, the Contemporary Climate Gallery showcases emerging artists
Visitors to Greene Block + Studios in downtown Waterville over Homecoming Weekend had the unique opportunity to view Metamorphosis, an exhibition of the Contemporary Climate Gallery that otherwise exists only in digital format.
The pop-up event showcased the works of Colby alumni artists Cal Waichler ’21, Annika Hogan ’24, and Emma Baker ’24, as well as Boston-based artists Nikki Ekström and John Mendizabal. In an apropos creative twist, this one-day-only experience of the exhibition also featured bespoke bites and craft cocktails inspired by four works in the show, courtesy of Andrew Volk ’05, founder of Portland’s popular Scandinavian-inspired Hunt + Alpine Club.
The mission of the Contemporary Climate Gallery is to showcase the work of emerging artists as they establish a presence in the commercial art world. The gallery’s online platform makes the art widely accessible for viewing, provides a space for dialogue, connection, and networking, and promotes an environmentally sustainable business model. Supported by DavisConnects and the Lyons Arts Lab, founder James LaMarca ’23 conceived the gallery as a student at Colby and has worked to sustain its success since he graduated.
The pop-up at Greene Block + Studios on Sept. 21, attended by community members, Colby students, faculty, trustees, and friends alike, was a triumphant reimagining of the gallery’s digital exhibition into its debut physical show. The event fostered a new type of engagement with Metamorphosis and with the gallery itself, enhancing the artists’ visibility and the audience’s viewing experience.
The show included an array of works in varying media, including abstract oil portraits (Baker), collaged woodcut prints (Waichler), and a feature-length film (Mendizabal), among others. For those in attendance and involved, the celebratory event represented new success for the gallery and a significant milestone since it officially formed its inaugural board of directors less than a year ago.
Funding from DavisConnects launched the project
As a student, LaMarca received funding from DavisConnects to conduct a multi-state study on environmental sustainability at 30-plus galleries in the commercial art world. Issues surrounding career development and opportunities for emerging artists became a recurring theme. LaMarca’s observations of the complexities and challenges that professional artists face became the inspiration for what later came to fruition as the Contemporary Climate Gallery.
Following his independent research study, LaMarca participated in the Maine Center for Entrepreneur’s 2023 Top Gun Program, which allowed him to create a model for a nonprofit art gallery that incorporates eco-friendly business practices and elevates the work of emerging artists. The Lyons Arts Lab and its director, Associate Professor of Performance, Theater, and Dance Annie Kloppenberg, supported LaMarca in further honing the design. Ultimately, the gallery was officially formed as an online platform to display curated works by up-and-coming artists.
Speaking about the gallery and the Lyons Arts Lab, LaMarca noted that “everyone we’ve worked with is really driven and really cares. It’s amazing that we have someone like [Kloppenberg] who matches the enthusiasm and creativity of students and alumni.”
Board member and current student Elian Joseph ’26, an economics and Latin American studies double major and member of the football team, shared LaMarca’s appreciation for the Lyons Arts Lab and Kloppenberg’s support as a liaison and advisor. Joseph views his leadership role with the gallery as an opportunity to “fully engage with the arts.”
Lyons Arts Lab serves as incubator
Promoting engagement with the arts has become a defining hallmark of Colby’s mission. A longtime steward of the arts, particularly by way of the Colby Museum of Art, Colby in recent years has exponentially expanded its support of the arts with new physical spaces and programs, including the Lyons Arts Lab.
Launched in fall 2023, the lab operates as a creative incubator and think tank, pioneering a unique opportunity for students to envision and develop creative projects that span, and often exist outside of, the traditional academic disciplines. Kloppenberg is a crucial thought partner for students as they work within the lab.
“I think expansively with students to determine what might be possible and create projects with unusual and signature elements,” Kloppenberg said of her role.
The Contemporary Climate Gallery is a triumph of this approach.
Colby’s ongoing involvement with the gallery also reflects the College’s role in the broader arts economy as Colby uses its platform and resources to expand, democratize, and elevate opportunities for artists and art audiences, as well as for students and alumni to pursue creative endeavors and related career paths.
Broadly speaking, the commercial art world can be a highly competitive and often insular space, offering fewer access points for emerging artists and individuals pursuing work in creative industries. As a nonprofit organization, the Contemporary Climate Gallery contributes to artists’ communities and careers by centering their work and removing the pressure of profit.
The Contemporary Climate Gallery is committed to showing works by emerging artists from all backgrounds, but it’s also consciously elevating Colby alumni artists. Baker, whose works were featured in the pop-up show, said that “it’s valuable to have the opportunity to show your work without a long résumé of experience. It’s nice to be shown among other young artists and to see others having similar experiences and making their way in the art world.”
As LaMarca and the gallery leaders look to the future, they see the pop-up as just the beginning of the journey. He and the board are considering what it would look like to hire a gallery director and perhaps eventually pursue a brick-and-mortar exhibition space. For now, the Contemporary Climate Gallery will continue to offer a unique and innovative space and community for artists, their work, and viewers to interact, inspire, and grow together.
