Cargo Space: Chicago/Milwaukee, 2014. Organized by by Christopher Sperandio and Duncan MacKenzie Participating artists Chicago: Judith Brotman, Alex Chitty, Heather Mekkelson, Erik L. Peterson, John Sparagana, Wacom TX. Participating artists Milwaukee: Sara Daleiden, Sarah Gail Luther, Ashley Morgan, Paul Druecke, Shana McCaw and Brent Budsberg. This artist-centered, experimental residency promoted an alternative model for social, creative and curatorial engagement and connected artists and art organizations across state lines.
Mekkelson’s bulletin boards were presented simultaneously in both INOVA (Milwaukee) and A&D Gallery (Chicago) spaces. Participating artists and gallery staff were encouraged to arrange the boards with Mekkelson’s own image and research items. Throughout the residency term, participants added, rearranged, and created interventions on the boards that acted as an analog messaging system for “residents” and resulted in a visual diary of the creative thinking that occurred over time. For Mekkelson, the results provided tangible alternatives of how to see these familiar items anew.