The Making of A Children’s Art Gallery (Part 1)
AKA The inspiration and backstory behind Tombolo
For the next two months, in lieu of the monthly sketchbook walkthrough (or perhaps in addition to— capacity pending), I wanted to bring you behind the scenes of Tombolo. Since it’s gearing up to take over my life, I figured- why not take over my Substack as well 😅.
I’m envisioning this as a 3 part series:
Part 1: The Backstory
Part 2: Building out our Inaugural Year & what we’ve prepped for this year
Part 3: Tombolo House recap
With that said, let me know in the comments if there are any specific questions or things Tombolo related you’re curious about and I’d be happy to touch on them!
Finally, a heads up that this is definitely one of my more rambly posts so hold on tight as you’re in for ride through the topsy turvy pathways of my brain.
Inspiration
It’s hard to pin down the exact genesis of an idea but I think April 2017 is a pretty good place to start. Like a lot of things, the end result looks nothing like the spark of inspiration- and that’s totally OK. Such is the meandering process of creativity and I love every moment of it!
In 2017 I went to Copenhagen for the first time and on that trip, a friend recommended I check out the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Always keen to visit galleries, Rob and I hopped on a train early one morning and disembarked about 50 minutes later in a quiet town outside of the city.
While the museum itself had some great artwork; what took my breath away was the location. Perched atop a cliff beside a forested area and a sandy beach, there were ocean views as far as the eye could see. Sculptures mingled with tree stumps and grassy clearings. The rugged charm of nature and the smooth beauty of man-made art were inexplicably intertwined. I had never seen anything like it before and it felt like it just made sense. Of course art deserves to be witnessed in a tranquil setting! Prior to this trip, all the galleries I had been to were typically in city centres, surrounded by old architecture or glassy modern buildings. This. This was something else.
Over the years, I couldn’t stop thinking about this refreshing take on an art gallery and the thought continued to marinate somewhere at the back of my brain. At the same time, I was spending more and more time with my growing nieces; drawing and crafting with them as well as watching them make artwork on their own.
Their doodles and ability to create with abandon left me in awe, and I was so impressed with the places their mind went. Whether or not the “meaning” behind the artwork was “deep” by adult standards, they approached each drawing with a serious sense of earnestness. Without the influences of critics— both internal and external— they intuitively knew when the drawing felt “done” and when it needed just one more pink polka dot. As a developing illustrator, this confident approach to artwork felt radical and I wondered Why don’t we take children’s art more seriously?!
Along the way, other major influences included: kid and adult friendly spaces like Collage Collage, a heap of books, and learning about artist residencies in neat places. Swirl all of this together and what resulted was an early seed of an idea.
The Seed
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been writing my “big picture vision” in the front pages of every notebook I use. The idea is to keep this dreamy ideal life top of mind. Y’know.. manifesting. ✨✨✨
It was at some point around 2022 when I added the following to the vision:
Create a museum/ art gallery by the ocean, with a focus on children’s art. Have space for artist residences with a focus on picture book makers and young artists & their families. And, just for fun— include multiple contemplative gardens.
Living in Vancouver, the idea of property by the ocean- especially of that magnitude- felt very pie-in-the-sky. But what’s a goal if not big, scary, and a little ridiculous? And so, I let the thought simmer. After all, I didn’t have a hard timeline for this plan and who knows what the future could hold.
Why not now?
About two years after the initial inking of the “big picture vision”, I was having a goals night with friends where we discussed our hopes and dreams for the year. One friend, who owns a pop-up shop, mentioned that she was looking to use her storefront window as a space for Black artists during Black History Month in February. The area wasn’t huge but she figured it could be a simple, small opportunity for the right person. Her words rattled around inside me until eventually, what surfaced was the aforementioned idea of artwork in an unexpected, or “unofficial” location.
Emboldened by this group of pals (everyone should have friends they can dream with!), I made the decision that night to start chipping away at the big picture vision. I might not be able to afford a seaside property at the moment but what’s stopping me from executing a simpler, smaller version of the idea?? Fuck it, why not now.
It was at this point I reached out to my favourite fellow creative and dear friend Ryleah who is an incredibly talented angel. We joke that I work well in the 2D (illustrations, design, printed material, web) and she is a 3D magician that help brings ideas to life. I’ll save the nitty gritty of our early Tombolo planning for the next post because there’s one last little bit of inspo to chat about.
Japan
Lying on the floor of the House of Light, I stared at the softly changing colours and let my mind be nowhere and everywhere at the same time. We were about halfway through our Japan trip and I was allowing myself to digest everything I had seen so far.
…Naoshima Island— like if Louisiana Art Museum took over an entire island
…Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest— a library just for children’s books
…Studio Ghibli Park (and later Museum)— a whimsical intentional wonderland
…Echigo Tsumari Art Field— abandoned schools and ski lifts activated with artwork, including a picture book museum I didn’t get a chance to visit because they were closed (biggest sad face)
And like a dreamy movie sequence, the pieces floated together until… ZING
I sat up and poked Rob, who was going through his own James Turrell-induced journey beside me.
“I think I know my life purpose.”
(Author’s note— I know life purpose is totally corny and everything is subject to change but that is literally how I described it at the time sooo 🤷🏻♀️.)
Putting it together
Even though this Japan epiphany happened after Tombolo’s inaugural year; the “big picture vision” idea now feels complete and whole.
Tombolo will be a space to honour, showcase, and inspire children’s creativity. “Tombolo House” will be a Storybook Museum and Children’s Art Gallery (aforementioned art residency and scenic vista still apply) with rotating exhibitions based on new stories and new themes.
What is a Storybook Museum?
It is a combination of an IRL picture book and a gallery exhibition. Each room is a different scene/ “page” and invites the visitor to be the protagonist in the “book”. Elements are interactive, immersive, and allows the story to be felt and experienced in new ways.
We’ll have workshops and storybook time, speaker series and other activations. The “vibe” is kid-focused, balanced between being calm and playful. And above all else, children are centered and taken seriously.
So where are we now?
Obviously, I’m still a couple million dollars short of the big picture vision mentioned above (if anyone knows any investors.. @ me!) but once again, I am reminded of fuck it, why not now.
So, Ryleah and I are teaming up this year to put on a bigger and better version of Tombolo— one that aligns a little more with this expanded vision, and also, very fortuitously, expanded space!
Stay tuned for Part 2 next month where I dive into the planning/ behind the scenes of last year.
This makes me so happy