“So what’s next?” Aunt Anne asked Chris while the two were chatting on the back porch in late July. When he responded that he wanted to get serious about finding a Makers’ Space so he could really focus on his art, I don’t think either of us realized how quickly the perfect place would fall into our path.

For the past five years, he’s been working in our 500-sq-foot apartment so his creations are a bit smaller than they used to be when he was working out of a barn.

There were a few places we considered but none were as great as the one we chose. MASS MoCA had a spot.

They checked out his website and offered to give us a tour. Chris passed their first test 🙂 It was perfect. Now all we had to do was show up for a Zoom meeting with the museum board members. That was a little nerve-wracking, but Chris was ready.

After Chris was introduced they were encouraged to ask questions about his work and his decision to rent space there. Next, they each voted individually to approve him or not. It was a unanimous “yes.” Woohoo!!!

That meeting was Monday August 28. The next day Chris began packing, and shelves and storage areas became bare.

We hopped into the loaded car and set out to get the keys and move in on Wed. August 28, 2023. Our commute is beautiful!!!

I think it’s pretty safe to say that Chris is quite excited about the space he gets to work in now. This picture below is one of my favorites. I LOVE the joy radiating from him.

Just look how high those ceilings are. Don’t you think they are just begging to have some mobiles hanging off them?

Both of us were impressed with the size of the space. Although we had toured it before, it was bigger than both of us remembered. When does that ever happen?

The lighting is fantastic — thanks to a wall of windows. It looks out over the Hoosic river and other buildings that are part of the museum. The art is called Les Pommes d’Adam (Adam’s Apple) (although I don’t think it looks much like that), and that building is an installation in a boiler room.

Chris likes working in that part of the studio, feeling the urban vibe of the museum without constant distraction of people walking past.

The studio is actually two rooms. We’ll use the back one for Chris’ work, and the front part will be a store (also a space where I will often work).

After we took that first car load over, we drove 3-4 hrs to get to our NY place. Zeb kindly offered his van and muscles to help with the move. He and Chris loaded the heavy stuff (Shiloh helped). The two men drove to Massachusetts with the load while I stayed with the kiddos (Bri was working). They spent the night in MA then came back to NY so I could go home with Chris.

Mom Pollock helped me keep the kids entertained. She was such a help, and it was so fun being together. We actually exhausted the kids, which I consider a major feat. We wrapped up a perfect day with ice cream.

A week and a day flew by as Chris introduced art and tools to their new home. It’s fun. Quite a few people have stopped in to see what he is creating, and the vibe feels very positive. We have quite a ways to go to get it all looking right and working smoothly, but it feels we are on a good path.