Curating Next Phase has been a rare chance to witness process and practice as much as presentation. Too often, curators encounter only the finished work of an exhibition, arriving fully formed, with its questions already decided and answered. Here, I had the privilege of watching nine artists grapple with their ideas, experiment with new mediums, and grow more confident with each exchange. Designed to bridge the space between a solo exhibition’s solitude and the collective impact of a group show, Next Phase formed a supportive yet challenging environment where risk was encouraged, dialogue was constant, and experimentation gave way to significant revelations.

What makes this exhibition distinctive is its commitment to endurance and collaboration. Artists were given permission to “fail,” yet what emerged was far from failure: the work is ambitious, vulnerable, and resonant. Each project felt profoundly relevant, growing more compelling through ongoing dialogue with fellow artists, with consultants, and with the curatorial process itself. In creating an atmosphere where experimentation could sharpen into clarity, individual practices found strength in relation to the whole.

As curator, I imagined these projects like fractals: fragments of incomplete ideas at first obscured by doubt or complexity, then slowly clarified through conversation, validation, and persistence. With each workshop the room grew louder, the work bolder. Materials shifted – paint became textile, drawings became installations – as artists utilized expanded tool sets to articulate their ideas. To witness this evolution was to uncover treasure, dug out slowly, polished, and admired.

Next Phase is, at its core, a model for how artists can be nurtured into risk-taking and resilience. It has shown me that when artists are given time, trust, and a community of dialogue, their work not only flourishes but expands the possibilities of exhibition-making itself.

Featured Artists: Andrea Lane, Asher Rey, Jack Budd, Julie Glass, Lex R. Thomas, Lindsay McAnally, Lucia Moon, Meg Tran, & Mya Budden (and several wonderful supporting artists!)

On View: Auguest 25th - September 25th, 2025

ULL's Fletcher Hall Gallery - 421 East Lewis Street

Learn more about this exhibition HERE