The Move to CO

Kyle and I have officially landed in Fort Collins, Colorado! Application season was super hectic and stressful especially as deadlines piled up, and it was difficult to make time to relax in the midst of the chaos. Editing images, keeping the resume up to date, revising artist statements – you name it. Managing my personal planner was super important because my job as studio/programming manager took a lot of planning energy, meeting timelines daily that did not pertain to my application agenda. I started a calendar that was designated strictly to deadlines to help lessen confusion and bring an emphasis to the more important dates. This separation helped Kyle and I not to miss anything important, and ensure we were prepared for applying to different opportunities such as residencies, post bac programs, and ceramic jobs across the country. After interviewing and reviewing our acceptance letters/emails, we decided Fort Collins was the next place for us. Kyle is now pursuing the Post Bac program at CSU for ceramics and I am interning for the Artstream Nomadic Gallery (a nomadic gallery running out of an Airstream camper).

In preparing for the move, we sold all of our furniture to save some money on travel expenses. Due to the quality of furniture we had at our Alfred apartment, we found quickly that paying to get a UHAUL or a POD did not make much sense. We’d basically be paying more to ship everything than the furniture was worth. After deciding to only pack our cars, we started sorting our belongings – making piles to try and sell, piles to donate, and figuring out where our ceramic works would land. With the community of friends I made at the Wellsville Creative Arts Center, it only seemed fitting to have a large pot giveaway. Taking place after my capstone solo show, folks were able to purchase work if they wanted to, but I was nowhere near selling out. By doing a giveaway, my goal was to find good homes for some pots of mine that were definitely not going to make the cut for the move. Instead of throwing them out, they would now be loved and cherished. You might be thinking, “What? Giving away your pots for free? You’re crazy.” Truth is, the time and effort that went into these pots had a monetary value at one point, but I really wanted to start with a fresh slate in Colorado – jumping off of old ideas without being too consumed by past works.

Thinking about all the pots I have in my parents basement, really helped me to feel better about the giveaway. While those pots have not seen the light of day since creation, the last thing I wanted was to continue to add to the pile. Not neglected, my Wellsville friends can look at the pieces I made and remember me. The pot will go on to live a life of its own which is one of the main reasons I make ceramics to begin with. 

Overall, money made from selling our pots and our personal belongings went to fund our move, which really helped us. I would recommend this for anyone making as big a move as we did (and my future self). Along with the generosity of our friends and family, the fund allowed us to travel across the country without worrying about the cost of gas, lodging, nor the cost of furnishing our new apartment. This was all a great relief considering we brought only the bare essentials with us. Stopping along the way to see friends and family was super exciting as well because we treated it like an excuse to visit with folks we hadn’t seen in a while. 

We started by departing from Alfred and landed in Rochester to spend time with Kyle’s family for a couple days. This trip was especially difficult because we couldn’t foresee when we’d be visiting them again. We knew the day would come, but the uncertainty of when this would be was difficult to cope with especially since Kyle had never moved this far away from his NY home. After saying our “see you laters”, we made a pitstop in Indiana to see my parents. I hadn’t been home since Thanksgiving, and it was nice to catch up. Unfortunately, they had caught COVID right before our arrival, so we didn’t get to spend as much time together as we hoped. The hardest stretch of the trip was over once we landed in Kansas City to see our friends Josh and Alexia. It was so great to see them again after being apart for over a year! We kept in touch, but it was definitely strange to think that I once was talking to them everyday. This stop on the trip was more joyful than sad. Reuniting with an old friend and feeling as though you can pick up right where you left off is such a great feeling. From KC, we drove to Colby, KS just to break up the drive. Traveling with our little cat, Phoebe, we didn’t want to push our luck by trying to power through 11 hours on the road. The next day, we woke up refreshed, and ready to make the final trek. Leaving early in the morning with the shortest stretch ahead, Kyle and I were more than ready to reach our destination. Greeting us with open arms, Brooke and Justin Donofrio showed us around our new home – taking us to many of the local fun spots in town. Our last stop on the Fort Collins tour led us to New Belgium Brewing where a storm of rain and heavy hale came rushing in, forcing us to flee, sprinting towards the car through flooded streets. The four of us laughed along the way, making it the most unforgettable first day.

Sense then, we moved into our new apartment, found many garage sales (furnishing the entire place), and made some new friends. Turns out, one of my STARworks friend’s girlfriend had friends who moved into town within the same week as us. Crazy timing! It could not have worked out better. Soon, Brooke and I will be building a studio in their backyard for me to use to work towards strengthening my ceramic portfolio. In exchange for studio space, and as I mentioned briefly, I will be interning for the Artstream – helping them to take photos, package work, and keep up with new events/tours. Stay tuned in to hear more about this experience with Artstream. I’m looking forward to exploring Colorado clay deposits and seeing how this impacts my work, and learning more from Brooke and Justin.

Cheers to new friendship, pots to be made, and the beautiful mountains that now surround us! This adventure is only getting started.