Art is everywhere if you have eyes to see.

This was my art-teacher mother’s mantra. It bugged her that so many people looked past the artistry in ordinary moments, searching for some artistic ideal. Everywhere she went she carried her sketchbook…airports, doctor’s waiting rooms, trains, schools—you name it, all made for worthy subjects.

And here I am in the middle of a rather significant and messy renovation of an unfinished space, soon to be the Jed Smith Art Gallery. I easily could park my creative efforts while supervising the work, waiting for this private exhibition space to be finished. But, remembering my mother’s mantra, I’ve been photographing the rich, textured vignettes playing out with the construction team (with their gracious permission). Talk about having the opportunity to chronicle fine Italian craftsmanship at work. And their faces! All is an artist’s dream.

Go with the flow.

This is what I am doing. I’m not asking questions or having mental dialog or analysis. No, those are creativity killers. So, on the journey to completing the Jed Smith Art Gallery, I’m getting a whopper of a bonus with my “reportage” of the renovation process. The response continues to be so enthusiastic to the images I’m capturing that I am contemplating a gallery wall of black and white photos dedicated to telling the story of this ambitious project and the people who are making it happen.

Getting gritty.

Whenever I enter the renovation zone of the Jed Smith Art Gallery, I breathe and taste the grit of the work that seems suspended in the air. And the heat! OMG! The work plows onward despite outside temps in the 90s and hovering around 100F. Still, our amazing crew soldiers on.

I particularly love the featured image for this post because it captures the grittiness and the hard labor required for this kind of work.