Today we’d like to introduce you to Elena Filatova Kendal Hudspeth.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Gallery 66 was born out of friendship and a willingness to go with the flow.
One fateful evening we spontaneously decided to go on a micro gallery art crawl that we heard about from a friend. We were not expecting anything, it was just two friends enjoying an evening of art.
As we walked on a tree lined Eucalyptus street from one micro gallery to another in the Wrigley Arts District, we really enjoyed unique art installations and stories. But even more, we fell in love with the sense of community the event created. Families were looking at exhibits together. Neighbors were hanging out, talking and laughing.
All Elena could think was how she could get one. When she said those words out loud, a friend happened to pass by and say “You just have to talk to Dave”. We asked around that night and eventually met Dave and Carol Clark, who make these micro galleries at cost.
We signed up right there and about a month later we opened our first exhibit! It was a poem Kendal had written about the intention of the gallery, Building Community, and it set the intention for the beautiful adventure we’ve been on, connecting with so many amazing artists and people.
That evening we learned that releasing control of the outcome gives life the opportunity to surprise us with even more than we could have imagined was possible.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We quickly learned that a micro gallery becomes an oven of sorts in the sunshine. Our first display included a candle that completely melted in less than a day! It made us laugh but also gave us a good warning for future displays – submit wax creations at your own risk!
And you absolutely can’t lose the little screws that hold the glass in place. First time doing the installation, we spent some time with flashlights on our hands and knees looking for one that fell on the concrete.
As far as the running of the gallery, it’s a lot of work, but we are also just having a blast with it, not taking things too seriously.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our micro gallery hosts a rotating display of artists on a monthly to quarterly basis. We charge no fees and don’t take a portion of any sales the artists generate. It’s about building something together.
In many ways we are continuing to go with the flow, not trying to control the outcome and allowing things to happen naturally. We are always open to suggestions, to input from the community and the artists, to collaborations. We are just at the start of this road and we can’t possibly imagine where it will lead us.
We are also intentional about the type of community space we’re creating. For each opening event, we have incorporated an activism or fundraising component. The artist gets to select a cause they care about, and we work collaboratively to find a way to support that cause. Examples of causes (both past and upcoming) are a fundraiser for Earth Justice, a top surgery fundraiser for a community member, and a fundraiser for a local cat nonprofit.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Giving artists a place to share their work, and creating a vibrant, caring community in the process.
We see so many negative things happening in the world around us today. Gallery 66 is the kind of positive creative energy that makes us laugh together, build together, create together. It gives us a sense of joy and hope. We consider Gallery 66 a success if we can instill similar joy and hope in others that enables us to fight back together.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @gallery66lb
