Thanks to our stellar community for supporting this year’s Residency Week!

From Director of Art Residency, Leslie Foster

Hello fellow artists and Level Ground supporters,

As we entered the final preparation for residency week a little over 10 days ago, I didn’t know what to expect. I was excited about the work created by Coffee, gabbah, and Emmet, but in this strange late-stage (I hope) pandemic setting, we had to redraw our maps and with them, our expectations.

I’m still sitting in the glow of what happened. You all showed up in incredible ways, from volunteering to cheering on our amazing residents at each of their openings. On behalf of our entire staff team, we are so grateful for all the ways in which you’ve been present this week!

I’m also incredibly grateful for our residents, who created thought-provoking, experimental, and beautiful art in the midst of incredibly difficult times. Thank you for your persistence, your joy, and your imagination. I feel incredibly inspired by you. I loved getting to watch gabbah see people play their game for the first time and light up as friends took in the beauty of the world they built; getting to see visitors marvel over Coffee’s work as they gingerly stepped across the marbled tiles she created out of soap; and getting to enjoy Emmet and his friends play hackey sack in the courtyard during his opening, filling the space with a relaxed, goofy sense of fun.

Finally, I’m so grateful to our gallery partners. This week would have been impossible without you. Your support, suggestions, and care for the work made all three shows better than we could have imagined. Thank you so much Feminist AI & Poieto, Launch LA, and Noysky Projects for all you did to make this a successful week!

So to the Level Ground community: thank you for the support, love, and creativity you’ve shared during this week. I’m excited about the ways in which we will continue to explore and grow!

Best,

 Leslie Foster
Director of Art Residency • he/him

Photos from the Residency Week Closing Party on 8/7/21 at Oracle Tavern. Taken by Level Ground Collective Artist Kelli Scates. Support Level Ground artists and programs by becoming a monthly donor. Learn more here. Thank you!