Hammerspace Gallery lies at the intersection of conceptual art, unconventional spaces and motherhood.
Hailey Johnson founded it as a mobile pop-up gallery in Portland, OR, and has since brought the project to various spaces around Grand Rapids.
It’s now home to pop-up art exhibitions, critique groups, and the distinctive Hammerspace Artist Cohort; a nine-month development and mentorship program for mother artists and artist-parents “building caregiving and the demands of contemporary life.”
Across it all, the mission is to cultivate experimental art and artist development across West Michigan and beyond. We asked Johnson to tell us more.
What brought you to West Michigan?
My husband Jordan and I had been living in Portland, OR for years. While we loved the landscape, food and culture, we also missed the Midwest—both of us are from Toledo, OH. There is an approachable, down to earth energy that exists here and I love the Midwest for that reason.
Now that you’re here, what do you value about the arts community?
The art community is honest. They are honest about what is working and what is not. There is a genuine drive to make it the best it can be for artists that live here and a desire to reach the broader community. I am grateful for the work the Arts and Culture Collective of Grand Rapids (ACCGR) is doing to create an arts infrastructure for Kent County.
What was your initial goal in founding Hammerspace, and how has that evolved since?
My initial goal was to reach broader audiences with contemporary art and create opportunities for artists like myself. Originally, Hammerspace was a mobile art gallery on a 4x8 trailer. Last year, it operated out of my renovated 2 stall garage. This year, the exhibitions were presented in a large warehouse. Next year they may all take place in nature. The definition of Hammerspace is “an extradimensional storage space that is instantly accessible by cartoon characters.” With that in mind I think it is only appropriate that Hammerspace Gallery continue to roam and evolve.
Could you talk about the work you do activating unconventional spaces?
Activating nontraditional spaces was born out of necessity. I used the space I had access to. However, I am someone that sees potential in places others might not. As a curator I am interested in creating shows that feel experiential. I want to engage our senses so people are fully present, not just looking but seeing. Putting art in a place people might not expect helps them be more present. When we are overly familiar with a place, there is a lot we become blind to.
It also allows me to think about context as part of the art. March’s “HEAVIEST, HEAVIEST, HEAVIEST.” is a great example. I would not have curated this exhibition in a traditional white box gallery because it would not have supported the work conceptually. The journey upstairs into a giant warehouse attic with dim light and exposed architecture set the stage to experience Seejon Czaplicki, Isabella Werschky & Abhishek Narula’s art in a way that felt true to them. The emotional gravity of work changes with context, I believe context has a large hand in deciding what something means.
How is your work intertwined with motherhood?
It is hard to be concise about being a mother and an artist. It is an extremely sensitive intersection. Most women leave the field after becoming mothers because many find a career in the arts incompatible with caregiving responsibilities. It seems like a real failure that we allow these voices to be so underrepresented. I believe one of the easiest ways to keep mother artists in the field is to create community for them. One of our most basic human needs, and filling it is transformative. We are entering our second year of offering a 9-month artist cohort program for mothers and I am excited to support these women alongside the artists, curators and educators that offer mentorship during their time.
I believe motherhood offers us an opportunity to evolve, to be in a relationship, to see care as a more intelligent system to operate within. It also offers new constraints, which, if you allow them to be, can be an incredible gift. My art making practice is intertwined with my 3-year-old son, Wally. I allow him to be my eyes. I notice what he notices and grow curious about the human impulse behind what he is drawn to. Eventually those seeds turn into performances, sculptures or installations.
How can the general public engage with Hammerspace?
Hammerspace presents a pop-up art exhibition every couple of months. I encourage people to sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop! Our next show is titled “Mother Tongue” and features the work of Helen Hunter and Melissa Floyd. Both are talented painters who ask what is lost when experience is exchanged too quickly for explanation. The show will be up for one afternoon on Saturday, September 19th from 3-6pm in a warehouse at 1265 Godfrey Ave SW. Our events welcome families with children of all ages!
Learn much more at hammerspacegallery.com.
