Ep. 146: Artful Arches at MOA: The Art of Connection

[00:00:00] Mall of America. It's home to world-class shopping, great dining, and amazing attractions and events. And these are our stories presented by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism. Hello, fans of Mall of America. This is your episode of So Much More. I am Jill Renzel, your host for today's podcast, joined by Dan Jasper. Hello, Dan. Hey, Jill. I'm excited. We are excited. It is spring. We have beautiful colors in the mall. We're going to tell you all about it because we have artful arches. It is a beautiful new art installation here at Mall of America.

[00:00:30] Mall of America that everyone, you can come and see for free. Just enjoy it because we are joined by the two artists that made this come together. And this is at the North Atrium. It is designed to spark creativity, connection, and exploration. So starting with the artists, this is a two-part podcast. We're going to talk with the artists and then also with the partners for this art installation. But this is with our artists there, Katie Donahue, otherwise known as I just learned, Kay,

[00:00:59] and Katerina Horath, who is also known as Kat. So both of you ladies, welcome to the podcast. And we are going to talk with you guys first to talk about how it came to be, the inspiration and how the art was created here at the mall. And then we'll follow that up with our partners from Artistry, Theater, and Visual Arts, and Frasier to tell you the rest of the story. So let's start out with Katie and Kat, or Kat and Kay. There we go. Why don't you guys... We'll mix it up. It's a lot happening. That's all right.

[00:01:25] Why don't you guys start by telling us your story? How did you get started and how did you guys form K-Works Studio? Yeah. Well, thanks so much for having us. Hi. You can call us anything that starts with a K- sound sort of thing. Love it. Yeah. Kat and I met each other in New York a number of years ago. And the funny thing is she was supposed to be touring me at the current school she was at. She's at Syracuse, and I was looking to go to a post-grad. And the funniest thing is that she did like a really horrible job of talking about the school at all.

[00:01:55] I have never done this before. I don't know why I was asked to give this person a tour. So we didn't talk about the school at all, but we talked about her body of work, her creative work, what she was interested in. And we just like got along so well. I went away to a different school. And fast forward after we both finished our architecture and her art program, we found ourselves in Manhattan working for companies. And I don't remember if I called her or she calls me as like a...

[00:02:23] I definitely reached out to you because Katie is very prepared. And when we first met, she gave me a business card. I was like, who is this student who has a business card? So I remember looking at you. It was a great business card. So after having met Katie and received a business card, I made a business card. So you made the first move afterward. I made the first move. You impressed me.

[00:02:48] Yeah. So the thing is, we started, you know, a number of years later, we were working for different firms and we met up for brunch or something like that. And we just got talking about creative ideas and work. And we started working on our own small creative projects, even though we were working for firms and we literally never stopped. We, it's been almost 10 years. And we started working on projects. Kat was going for her green card. She was preparing her portfolio.

[00:03:12] I was just interested in making stuff and finding a competition that gave me an excuse to have a deadline to like actually get this thing out of my brain. And we never stopped making stuff. And eventually we started our own company and formed K-Work Studio. And now we do everything from art to architecture and everything in between, I guess. I think it has been longer. I think we met almost 12, 14 years ago. You're right. 2014. And we founded K-Work Studio 10 years ago. Yeah. So K-Work Studio is almost a decade old.

[00:03:40] You met in New York, but you're not based there. You're intercontinental, correct? Yeah. We are. Where are you at? Yeah. So we, after graduating from our master degrees, we both moved to New York where we then worked for various big companies and learned to trade and worked really hard and did all the New York City life we always meant to be.

[00:04:04] And then, yeah, when we started our company, Katie moved back to Colorado. And I eventually moved back to Europe where I grew up and now live in London. So we are international. I will say there was a moment we had this like very heartfelt, like tearful, like conversation that like, hey, as K-Work, you know, is our company going to fall apart? Like, can we really do this, you know, across the ocean? And it's a really big time difference.

[00:04:34] Like seven hours is tricky. And so we're like, this may or may not last. We'll always be best buds and like soul sisters now. We don't know if we can run a company. Oh, it is the best thing ever. Are you kidding me? We just like, we use our phones like walkie talkies. We kind of live in a digital Zoom world back and forth. We kind of forget sometimes we're not next to each other, try to see each other as much as possible. But so now we get to do work, you know, in and around Colorado, still in New York, all over Europe, wherever cool projects will take us like Minnesota.

[00:05:03] Yeah, I will say I definitely, I mean, the projects also, we have always had international projects. So it wasn't like our projects were always centralized in New York where we had founded the company. Um, so it wasn't purely a move because we wanted to be in the various places. It was definitely also driven a little bit with work. Obviously in Europe, it wasn't quite established, but we made it work.

[00:05:26] I feel like once we were the furthest apart we had ever been, um, I think we, yeah, we communicate a lot more all the time and WhatsApp and Snapchat and like Instagram, like all the time. Um, and I think, I don't, I don't know how it's possible, but I think our connection has even gotten more and stronger. Yeah. It's been a lot of fun. I love it. Well, art comes in so many different forms.

[00:05:53] Curious of your expertise and which media do you lean in towards for your expression of art? Hmm. Well, that is, uh, there's a wide array of media I think that we work in because we're trained architects and we love designing buildings and thinking about space and the way people occupy it. Um, we also love to work in discarded materials and think about art pieces that take post-consumer

[00:06:22] goods and explore the kind of waste cycles around us. Um, we most recently I think have just fallen in love with thinking about color as a media just as much as a building material or a fabric or a type of oil paint. Um, and so I think recently like color pattern and texture have been like our paints that we're painting with. Um, they've been our media and that's, I think what this art installation really is about

[00:06:49] is these bold, unabashed, playful colors, textures, and patterns. So how did you get involved in this project? How did you put your name in the hat? So we have been working on, um, the idea of how to bring color patterns and textures together and how to make people experience it and, um, and, uh, I guess more targeted world.

[00:07:16] So we have been working on this installation for, um, over two years. And when we saw the open call, it was kind of meant to be, uh, I think you, you saw it and you called me and I was like, Kat, this is it. They must be there. I didn't call her. It was four in the morning for her. So I sent her an audio message. So it was the first thing that she would wake up to. That was like our like code. So we leave each other messages so that when she wakes up, we're like, oh my God, I found it. We kind of work a little bit backward instead of like finding an art call and then responding

[00:07:44] to it, we kind of come up with these ideas in our mind's eye that we toy around with that we want to see built in the world. And we come up with these things and these ideas and then we in reverse find somebody who wants it. And so we had actually been prototyping this and thinking about this and we've done like three versions that we drew through and started building it. And so when we saw the call from the Mall of America, from Frasier, from artistry, we were like, this is an omen.

[00:08:12] This is like, this is a place that's been meant, it's meant to go to. So it's something that we've been toying with because we wanted to create a place at fault, welcoming, inviting, unabashedly, joyful, and supersizing these colors, patterns, textures. And this turned out to be the right place. It's such a great fit because our brand is so colorful in everything that we do. And it just brings joy to people when people see color. And it's also Earth Month.

[00:08:39] So the way that you pull together your art to display it for others to enjoy was very attractive to us, all the parties involved because of Earth Month and recycled materials. So can you, both of you, paint the picture, literally, of what people can expect to see when they come into Mall of America? This will be displayed in the North Atrium, so right off our North entrance. And they're going to walk into this beautiful display of arches.

[00:09:06] So can you paint that picture for people before they get here? Because we want everybody to see it in person, but to invite them in and inspire them on what they're going to see. Yeah, I'll tell you about the big picture. You can talk about the individual modules. Yeah? Yeah. So this art installation, when you walk in, you're going to see it, is a gathering of various pieces. So we wanted to create separate modules that could move and flex and change and be rearranged and respond to a local community in the right way that they wanted to come together.

[00:09:36] So you'll see this great big gathering of these supersized arches. And you will see the deployment of all sorts of colors and graphics. You're going to see things on the floors. You're going to see things up above. And then the thing that's really special is the way we've been playing with the uniqueness of each and individual arch and that each one is an experience. Yeah. So each arch has a different color scheme as well as different patterns.

[00:10:03] And the patterns and color schemes, I think normally or in your day-to-day world, you see the patterns that we've used on a much smaller scale. So we have supersized them into super graphics and kind of played with the different scales of the different patterns. So we really want people to come and emerge in this world of color and texture and these patterns.

[00:10:31] And the patterns, they mean something to us. Like we're trying to really break the boundaries of having these standard understandings or these systems and some of the patterns that are also derived from fashion. Often fashion has the structures and the forms and the patterns. They often have been seen in menswear back in the day. We're talking about like hundreds of years ago.

[00:11:00] And we always have had this idea and really enjoy playing kind of like these standardizers and kind of like these constructs that we are taking apart and kind of being a bit bold against, I guess, in ways. So they're definitely meant to be joyful. But for us, the meaning is maybe a bit deeper for us to have played with breaking some of these boundaries and decontextualizing things that, yeah, we as humans experience and have grown through. That is great.

[00:11:30] That is great. What do you want people to feel when they walk through and when they're walking away from the art? What do you want them to take away? I think it's the funniest thing about these that was unexpected. You know, you design something and you want people to enjoy it and love it. But you can never predict the way people will actually use it or experience or respond to. And every single person, this collection of these big super arches, every single person is like, oh, that's my arch. That's mine. They own it. That's my vibe. That's my personality.

[00:11:57] So each one has a different story hearkening back to different origins of fashion and textiles that have been kind of like decoded. But there's just something that reaches out to us and we don't have to know why. We just have to feel it. And so I hope that when they come in, somebody is like, yeah, this is how I feel today and can enjoy the individuality of each one as well as they enjoy the collection and coming together and just the openness.

[00:12:24] Yeah, hopefully they take, I don't know, they come in and maybe we have like a house of or like people that love like the pink one, you know, and this is like the green world and people come in and who knows, every day you feel like a different arch, you know. But also for people like to come and like have your individual experience with the textures and the colors and the patterns. But also we, it's all in all of our installations, if they're buildings, art installations or the furniture that we make for people to connect.

[00:12:52] It's something that from the beginning on, I think in all of our work, it is really important for us, for people to build connections. So we hope that people build connections at the arches as well and meet in the arches or at the arches and have joyful, happy, fun conversations. And yeah. Yeah, meet us at the arches. I love that. Meet us at the arches anytime. We'll be there. We love having something for everyone.

[00:13:18] And I think something like this is going to really bring people together, whether they're different ages, different backgrounds, different abilities, different needs and wants. Because photo ops are really special and people love to capture those moments and then keep those as memories and share them with other people. So I think these are going to be a great connecting point for a lot of our guests that come and visit.

[00:13:40] And your installation inspires me in another way as well, which is it's in the atrium, which is our main door to Mall of America. Really, it's our main entrance. And the symbolism of the arches and the welcoming colors, to me, it feels like you're welcome here. Come in. Right. So it's this connection with the community and with the airport right next to us. Your arches become kind of this main entrance to Minnesota, main gateway to Minnesota.

[00:14:09] So I think it's a perfect fit. So thank you for bringing that inspiration. Thanks for having us. Thanks for having us and the whole team to make it happen. Absolutely. Well, Kay and Kat and from Kay Works Studio, thank you for sharing your story and inspiring our guests to come take a look at this beautiful Archway exhibit. We're very excited for it. Next up, we're going to talk about the partners that are helping us bring this together. So stay with us for the second half of So Much More.

[00:14:38] We're continuing our conversation with our partners who help make this art installation possible. We're joined by Kelly Foster-Warder, Executive Artistic Director at Artistry Theater and Visual Arts, and Gina Brady, Fraser Sensory Supports and Training Program Manager, to talk about the collaboration behind Artful Arches. So thank you both for joining us and telling us part of your story. So I would love for you to just jump right in. And Kelly, why don't you get us started, talk about your background, and what the Bloomington Artistry is all about.

[00:15:08] Well, thank you for having us. So excited to be here. I am the Executive Artistic Director at Artistry, and we are a theater and visual arts organization that really supports bringing artists and audiences together at whatever age and stages they are. And so we're excited to be Bloomington-bred. This is our 71st year. We're really deep in the community here, but we do work for the whole state. And so we're thrilled to be here. And this came about because of a great conversation with the team of the Mall of America,

[00:15:37] trying to think what can we do to promote the arts and to build partnerships across the city. And so we thought about the atrium and what could we do to bring something that is accessible for folks so that everyone can experience art that's really important. I actually think that art is a public good, and we all are better off with more art in our lives. So we jumped on it. And that made me think of a partnership that I've had in the past with Frasier to create an opportunity with really everyone in mind.

[00:16:06] And the Mall of America has a great partnership with Frasier. So we got really excited. And now here we are with Gina and the team at Frasier to make not only a beautiful art installation for everyone, but also something that people can engage with on all levels. So there's a sensory element, really considering all of the ways that people access the art. So obviously it's free at the mall, but there's also something beautiful to look at. There'll be something to sit where you can physically be present. You can walk through.

[00:16:35] So there's all sorts of ways to really engage actively in the art for everyone at all ages and stages of life. We love that. Kelly, we appreciate your partnership. And it was just the perfect gathering of partners and artists and ideas that brought this all together. So thank you for your leadership efforts in that. And also, Gina, thank you for your ongoing partnership with Mall of America. Frasier has been a close friend of Mall of America for many, many years. The inclusive nature of our organizations working together is really important to us.

[00:17:05] So help us learn about your background and what Frasier brings to the table with this project. Yeah. So Frasier is a nonprofit here in Minnesota. We provide autism, mental health, and disability services. And we really love any opportunities that we get to make the community more welcoming and more open to all people. So we really brought that inclusion angle to this project.

[00:17:30] We wanted to make sure that the Artful Arches were designed in a way that people had a lot of flexibility in how they could engage. There's definitely the beautiful visual elements. But how else can we think about other senses that we can incorporate? And movement and providing structure and activities and giving people ways to interact when art is something that is so personal.

[00:17:56] But sometimes people might need maybe a little bit more guidance to know where to start. And we creatively came up with the methodology of how we were going to curate these artists and how we were going to bring them to the table. And I think having that open call and bringing some other partners to the table. So we thank Pepsi and PNC for being financial sponsors of this effort to help us cover some of the costs. But it's been great to just work with everybody to bring in talent from across the Twin Cities and around the world, actually.

[00:18:25] So tell us a little bit about that process and how we went about the open call to find artists in a variety of different media to bring their art expressions to the Mall of America option. What's really fun about a call for artists is that you are asking someone to be creative. So we sort of give the parameters. We want something that is inviting and welcoming. We want it to be inclusive and consider sensory elements.

[00:18:52] Something that is important to our partners is sustainability, as well as how do we reach all ages and engage with them. And so it was fun to sit with the full team, Pepsi, PNC, and the three of us to create this call, but to leave enough room for the creativity of artists to come. And so we got quite a few submissions. It was really exciting. And we narrowed them down. It was over, maybe it was like 30, 35 submissions from all over the world.

[00:19:18] And then we narrowed them down to 10 that felt feasible and felt like they met the criteria the best. And then we all got in a room together and we talked about it. What do we love about this? What do we love about that? And what's exciting is that having the diversity of ideas and voices around the table, there was something really beautiful about all of them. And at the same time, I would say we really sort of gravitated towards some specific ones that felt like they really met all of the needs.

[00:19:48] Yeah, it really seemed like there were a couple that we kept coming back to. And then it was thinking through all the logistics of getting it installed. And I think we learned a lot about fire codes at Mall of America and the rules and things like that. So there were just so many different perspectives that came together to make this thoughtful choice so that it was something that could really serve the whole community.

[00:20:14] What I find amazing is we have the two artists that came together and created this amazing piece for us, which people will love the moment they see that they'll fall in love. And the three partners that came together as well as the sponsors who helped pay for it, but all the people behind the scenes. I know on the Mall of America side, there are dozens of people that it takes to pull this off. And I know I'm guessing on your teams as well, right? So literally hundreds of people potentially came together to make this happen.

[00:20:43] And I always think that's interesting because when people come and enjoy events that are here or installations, they don't realize what goes on behind the scenes. Because like you said, there was a lot of back and forth with the city, with the fireproofing and just all the parameters that take place in making it possible to bring these beautiful displays to the public. But I think they're going to be so pleasantly surprised when they see what's in the atrium. So I would love for both of you to share what are your expectations when guests come in of

[00:21:12] what they see, what they feel, kind of like what we asked with artists. What are your expectations? Yeah, I love the idea of people being kind of drawn to maybe one specific arch or, you know, maybe it's one of their senses that's speaking to them and they want to see or touch something and it's really just, you know, pulling them. It's almost a magnet, getting them to experience it in the way that is most meaningful to them.

[00:21:40] So this really personalized, individualized experience and connection with the art. And I think it is such an opportunity for connection as well, for conversation, for people to just take a pause and take it in and experience something new and exciting and beautiful and unusual and, you know, just welcoming everyone to be able to have that experience.

[00:22:09] Something I love about these pieces, I love the artists. You already got a taste. They are joyful and bright and colorful and so very smart. There are deep levels here. So if you're an art lover, hit the QR codes and learn about that history. You're going to love it. And if art is something that's new and you're like, I know what I like, you're going to love it too. Like, I feel like there's a depth here that's really special. But I really hope that people will come in.

[00:22:35] And something we haven't said specifically is that each arch has its own specific element to it. So it has its colors, but it also has a sensory element, each one. So you get to go ahead and touch the art, which we don't always get to do. And so some will be soft and some will make sound perhaps, and some will move for you. And so there's a way that you can interact with each arch that I hope speaks to someone or brings someone joy or perhaps sitting on the bench.

[00:23:03] I know I'm going to bring my nine-year-old and I'm going to sit on the bench and relax and let him experience the art. And I just think there's something for everyone. And I hope that people will feel what I feel being a part of this community is proud that we're a community that supports the arts, proud that we're a community that prioritizes inclusion and that believes that everybody should have access to wonderful things and proud to live in a state like with the Mall of America, right at the middle where we can do these things.

[00:23:32] So I really hope people have fun and find peace, but feel really proud and touched by what we've been able to create. I know that is how I feel. We didn't mention the benches prior. We've been talking about the arches. Can you talk a little bit more about the benches? Sure. First, when we're thinking about creating a welcoming space, so the arches that you want to walk through and become a part of and be in the middle, how can you then really experience the art in that way? And so there's this opportunity. The artists, Kay and Kat, actually designed benches.

[00:24:02] So one of the many things they do is design furniture. So they designed specific benches that we had an amazing carpenter here from here named Austin that built for us, that folks can come in, sit down, and just look around and experience it. So you can stand, you can touch, you can play, you can sit, you can move, you can roll. There's all sorts of ways to experience the art. I love the idea of this, and I'll be here a lot. I have a feeling I'll be hanging out a lot. So you can meet me at the arches. I will be there for sure. I love that.

[00:24:32] As a partner in this effort, what does success look like when you walk away at the end of July? So this is going to be up through July 26th. So friends, you have lots of time this summer to come check them out multiple times. But as we wrap up at the end of July, what will success look like for you? Yeah, I think hearing stories of what it has meant to people in the community so we can hear from them the meaning and the impact of the arches, I think that would be really important.

[00:25:00] And we live in a world of social media, and I want to see these arches plastered all over people's social media. And I want it to get out there and reach people that maybe didn't even hear about them, and they showed up and saw them anyways. And just really reaching as many people as far as we can, and especially thinking about people of all ages and all abilities. How about you, Kelly?

[00:25:29] Well, I live and breathe nonprofit arts stuff, right? We make theater, we have galleries, we do visual arts. And I know that it enhances our lives, and it's fun. It makes us think. It gives us peace and opportunity to pause. And so everything Gina just said, yes, please. And I think success, honestly, sometimes looks like we did it.

[00:25:54] A bunch of people came together, odds against us, in a time that's tricky for the arts. And we made something that is accessible and open to literally anyone that wants to access it. That's what I love about it, being here at the mall. You can take a bus. You can take a train. You can drive if you're able. There are so many ways, but you can get here, and you can be a part of this with us. And I'm just thrilled about that. I'm going to add one other level of success, if that's right.

[00:26:23] My hope for this is that at least one person, and I know this will happen, hopefully a child sees that and is inspired to say, I can do this. This makes me feel good. I want to be an artist. And I think, having seen the installation, this is going to have the effect on a lot of people, which is inspiration, that I can do this. What's really special about our artists is that they are architects, and they are artists,

[00:26:51] and there's no box that they're put in. They've chosen a life that's full, and it's a great example to all of us that we're more than just one thing. And I think this art installation is more than just one thing that encourages us all to accept the diversity within each of us, and also the diversity around us. So inspiration is a beautiful thing, and we're all looking for it. And you can find it at the mall, at the arch and down. Absolutely. And I think you guys hit the nail on the head.

[00:27:19] I mean, art really opens up the mind of possibilities. And I think that that's what we love here at the mall. We've had a lot of different art installations in the atrium, from the colorful yarn installation to the butterflies and now to the arches. It's just a beautiful, open backdrop for art and for people to come together and to really enjoy that expression that brings people together. So we are so excited for all of you to come and experience Artful Arches with us.

[00:27:47] You have from now until July 26th right in the atrium. So be sure to share this podcast with your friends and family who love art or just want to see a beautiful expression of color and design and togetherness, because this is all about connections. So please follow us, rate us, and continue to listen to us on So Much More. We love having you join us and we'll see you next time, the next episode of So Much More. We'll see you soon. Thanks for listening to So Much More, a Mall of America podcast.

[00:28:16] Subscribe wherever you find your favorite podcasts. This show is presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism.