This past weekend, Building Waterloo Region celebrated three consecutive openings: Ex-Industria on Friday night, followed by On the Line and No Small Plans on Saturday afternoon.
For those involved in the creation of No Small Plans, myself included, the days leading up to the opening were tumultuous–late nights, working until daybreak, followed by a quick nap on the couch and then right back to it. Some of us didn’t get a chance to change after the Friday night opening, manning tools and ladders in dresses and suits. The nights were late, the pizza was good, and the light was dim, but overall it was a good (if stressful) time.
The exhibition opened at 4 p.m. Saturday and, after putting the final touches on at 3:59, it was done. Three other exhibitions were opening simultaneously at the gallery, and the crowd included children and curious passersby. The event opened with remarks from William Poole, Director of the Clay and Glass, followed by talks by curators Eric Haldenby, Esther E. Shipman, and Vikkie Chen.
For Ms. Chen, the exhibition was more than just a summer job–it was her first foray into the world of professional exhibition design, a topic that she is currently exploring through her thesis studies. Her work throughout the process involved management, coordination, and layout design for a large portion of the exhibit. Personally, Vikkie was the person to go to for getting things organized. The pastries were a nice touch, as well.
For Building Waterloo Region, there’s only one show left to open–Finding Ways at the UW Main Campus, curated by Waterloo Architecture professor Don McKay, which opens later this summer.
I'm currently working as a designer/fabricator at Boko, a multi-disciplinary studio based in New Hamburg, Ontario, doing whatever work comes through the door. I've also recently completed my first video game release, called Polyball, on the Steam distribution platform.
INSTAGRAM // @aaroncote
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