Thrive 01/24/2006

View the Original Article on the Thrive Website

By Erin Ryan

On a recent gray Saturday, the Visual Arts Collective (VaC) hummed with soft light and a murmur of the Flaming Lips. The high ceilings and huge floor space were accentuated by the fact that Sue Latta's latest collection of sculpture had yet to be hung, but gallery founders Samuel and Anneliessa Stimpert were almost ready to place each piece with regard to light, angle, balance and synergy.

Five months after opening, the Stimperts are operating sans their former partners Christophe Guigon and Corrin Olson, who wanted to devote more time to their design firm, Guigon Olson Studios. With half the manpower and resources, the Stimperts remain devoted to VaC's potential while holding down supplemental jobs and booking their "multi-use" space with fine-art shows, CD release parties, fund-raisers, theatrical showcases and anything else that fits into VaC's original vision of a thriving cultural center in the heart of Boise.
"You don't kill yourself for four months just to give up," Anneliessa said. "We're passionate, excited and enthusiastic about it. The stress is a little bit different."

The stress comes from trying to balance the rest of their lives with bringing a cutting edge venue to a demanding and sometimes thankless public.
"I want people in this area to have an appreciation for fine arts. I want them to stay here and support local artists and realize that there's great art being made here; for artists to feel they have a space to show in without leaving the state; to promote a greater awareness of fine arts and to continue operating as a multi-use space and get to the capacity of others in bigger urban environments," Anneliessa said.

She explained the plan she shares with Samuel to build VaC into a compound with its own theater, classrooms, coffee shop, bookstore and so on. "It's something I've envisioned for years," she said.

In the meantime, the husband-and-wife team is happy with how far they've come and how the community continues to encourage their progress despite Boise being forever on the cultural verge.
"Things take time and money. It's a matter of planning, organizing, being committed and dedicated to not letting fear keep you from moving forward. We're going to be working our asses off," Anneliessa said.

"We still have the same idea of making people pay attention to artists who haven't gotten as much as they deserve, who aren't doing landscapes or pictures of ducks," Sam added. "It's exciting to see this side of Sue's work out in public. She needs more space and freedom, and we're thrilled to give it to her."
As the words left Sam's mouth, a man and a woman walked in, not realizing the gallery was closed that day. Rather than escorting them out, he showed them around, talked to them about Latta, leftovers from the last show and his own collection of aluminum/bronze/ gas mask sculpture. The woman turned out to be a well-known, local encaustic artist, and she seemed enthusiastic about the prospect of showing at VaC.

"Energy, feedback like that from the community — that's what sustains us," Anneliessa said. "We have people come in and say 'This is such a great space, we're so excited you're here.' It makes you feel energized."

And the kudos aren't just coming from patrons or artists, but also successful galleries such as Stewart Gallery and J. Crist. Pointing at a gorgeous cast resin and bronze piece on loan from Francis Fox, Sam said, "Francis is represented by Stewart Gallery, so having him show here is a gift from Stephanie [Wylde, owner of Stewart Gallery] to us. This is more on-the-edge work that she wouldn't normally show in her space, but she didn't have to let us."
Exploring VaC — even between shows — you get an immediate sense of its soul. The Stimperts encourage you to touch the pieces that can withstand the brush of a fingertip, welcome you to test the salvaged Roosevelt Elementary School doors attached to the bathrooms, talk sincerely about Angela Katona-Bachelor's haunting, mixed media triptych or the philosophical underpinnings of the Bhagavad Gita. The building itself is a piece of art, and Sam and Anneliessa want to share it with as many people as possible — even if that means giving up their own lives until VaC can stand on its own.

"We're doing this all ourselves, and we're working people with a limited income, so we've basically given up everything for this. It's scary," Anneliessa said. "I knew it would be scary, but there are so many opportunities, and I think this area is ripe for it."

Artist Sue Latta talks about her new show

Q: What does this show mean to you?

A: There are 16 pieces of mixed media sculpture. The materials include concrete, steel, latex, glass, rubber, resin, fabric, aluminum and stone (I think that's everything). The work is the physical embodiment of abstract human experience. For example, if you could create a physical embodiment of emotional pain, or actual pain, or fear, or pleasure, what would it look like? These pieces are the answer to that for me. Other than that, I can't really explain what it looks like. I think [people will] have to see it.

Q: What is the best thing about VaC's particular space in regard to your art?

A: VaC is a big, open industrial space. There is a material relationship, concrete, steel, glass, etc., that lends itself to this work. Beyond that, they are great people to work with!

Q: What are your favorite pieces in the show and why?

A: "S.O.S." (stands for seduction, obsession, and surrender) because it is seductive and beautiful at the same time that it's dark and scary. "Excoriate" because of the material ambiguity. I think this piece more than any makes you say "What is it?" and it has a seductive quality as well. And finally, "Let" because of the audience interaction. It draws people in in a way that I never anticipated. There we go with that seduction again — I think there must be a theme here.