Homesick Gallery Debuts With "Self, Indulgence"

Banner Image: Work by Moss Reinboldt. Image courtesy of Homesick Gallery.

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It's rare to come across a recent grad—a 20-something—opening a gallery in Minneapolis. As someone drawn to up-and-coming artists, I got pretty excited when I heard about a gallery opening in late July. I found out through, of all places, Instagram, via mutual friends and artists based in the Twin Cities.

The woman behind it, Taylor Wald, is a U of M grad, painter, and museum and gallery professional. Beyond being a talented painter herself, she's passionate about creating exhibitions and curating shows that celebrate emerging artists. She's hosting Homesick's inaugural group exhibition, "Self, Indulgence," opening July 25th from 7–10 pm. This single-night show will transform a former apartment into a temporary gallery space.

The exhibition features artwork from Savannah Tines, Ella Leidy, Camden Stevens, Cora Park, Madelyn Churchill, Jake Kromar, Derrek Garfield, Bryn Allyn, Soleil Anthony, Isabella Domm, Moss Reinboldt, Cammille Henry, and Jackson Gerads.

I sat down with Taylor, who shared the story behind the gallery. Enjoy! -Laura

 

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Laura Laptsevitch: Why did you decide to open a gallery?

 

Taylor Wald: I've basically been working in museums and galleries for quite some time now, and I've really fallen in love with the art of curating and bringing people together. I kind of see it almost as party planning, it's fun, you get to bring people together, and you're also able to uplift some artists who maybe haven't had their chance yet. That's what I'm trying to do at Homesick: making a space for emerging artists, for people who are just starting out and maybe having their first show or their first couple of shows, where they can learn something in the process.

 

Image: Homesick logo via Instagram @homesick.gallery.

 

LL: I'm wondering how that experience working at the Weisman and Katherine E. Nash Gallery informed how you curate now, what your philosophy is.

 

TW: Definitely. I started out with a curating internship at the Weisman when I had just started college, and that's what really got me interested in it. We did a lot of research-based curating, and I found it really fun and really stimulating. After that I moved through some other jobs at the Weisman, I was even a custodian there for a couple of years, just making my way around. But once I made it to Nash, I was working with Teréz Iacovino, who was super wonderful and totally inspired me to keep doing this. She actually let me and my coworker curate two shows while we were there, which they hadn't done before, and she said it went really well. That was a huge push for me, I realized we could actually do this. It's not just some idea; you can actually put a show on, whether you're a student, a recent grad, or just a human.

 

LL: I think it's true that when most people visit galleries or museums, there's this separation, a sort of invisible hand behind the shows. You don't often get to see the people who put them together.

 

TW: Yeah, exactly. I'm definitely interested in this idea that yes, it's a gallery, yes it's serious, but I also want it to be friendly, to have that connection with the artists and bring them together. Everybody's just starting out, and we want to help each other.

 

LL: I loved how you described it as a little party, bringing people together.

 

TW: I think that's true. I think that's what we need more of, and it's one reason why I was excited about this.

 

Image: Work by artist Cora Park. Of a Kind, Acrylic on canvas, 15" x 12", 2026. Courtesy of Homesick Gallery.

 

LL: How long have you been thinking about starting a gallery, and how long did it take to put this show together?

 

TW: I think I wanted to do this for probably about a year, and it's finally coming to life. Things just kind of fell into place when I had this empty apartment I could use. As for planning the show, I'm definitely a pre-planner type, so I've been working on it since April. I know that's pretty far out, but I really love doing it, and I love the work. I'm a busybody, so it's genuinely fun for me.

 

LL: I'm wondering how you landed on the name Homesick Gallery, I thought that was really fun.

 

TW: Thank you! I think it ties back to my own interests in art and my own painting practice, I love things that make you feel almost nostalgic, with a twinge of sadness or intrigue. But I'm also thinking about the fact that, since these are emerging artists, a lot of us are going through that feeling right now of being away from home. I'm going through it myself, so I think a lot of the selected works will speak to that too.

 

LL: I want to know about the show title, "Self Indulgence." How did you come up with it?

 

TW: For the first show, I knew I wanted it to be in this apartment gallery setting, because the space is so emotionally charged for me. I'd lived there previously, and spent a lot of time neglecting my own needs and desires there. I was really thinking about what it means to indulge in things that make you happy, and how to take care of yourself in times when that can be really challenging, especially with everything going on outside the home, and in the greater world. I was thinking about these artists who are making such amazing work by delving into their own stories and the things they love, and how those things make them stronger.

 

Image: Self, Indulgence showcard. Courtesy of Homesick Gallery.

 

LL: How did you decide on the artists in the show, and what was the process for picking the artworks?

 

TW: I came to most of the artists through seeing their work around, honestly mostly through Instagram and social media. I always really encourage people to post their art, because that's how young curators find new people to work with. I'd say I found almost all of the artworks on social media and thought, "I want that in the show. I want that in the show." But I also have some really close friends in the show who I know are great artists, and I'm just trying to uplift people I think really deserve it.

 

LL: Are most of the artists recent graduates? I'm wondering, demographically, who makes up the group?

 

TW: Definitely a mix. Some are postgrad, already graduated. Some haven't been to art school at all. Some are from St. Cloud, where I'm from. Some are still in school. I really like the idea, since it's my show, in a sense, of putting together both of the amazing artist communities I’ve been a part of, St. Cloud and Minneapolis. I don't see that combination a whole lot, and it's something I'm in a position to do: help artists from St. Cloud who may never have shown in Minneapolis get the chance to show here, since there are just a lot more exhibition opportunities in Minneapolis. That's part of why I love it here so much.

 

Image: Work by Derrek Garfield. Courtesy of Homesick Gallery.

 

LL: I got excited when I saw there's an edible installation planned. Tell me all about that.

 

TW: So one of my good friends from back home in St. Cloud, Jackson Gerads, is running a bakery called Herbie’s Bakery, and he does a lot of unique flavor combinations I’m super into. He's going to be making a thematic cake for the show, and people will actually be able to participate in cutting it and serving themselves, tying into the theme of self-indulgence. I'm really excited to see what he puts together. I mostly just let him run wild with ideas, so it should be really fun, really tasty, and really unique- flavors people probably haven't had before.

 

LL: When does the work go up, and when does it come down?

 

TW: So, this show is actually the only exhibition that will be in this particular apartment space, because the lease ends at the end of the month. I wanted to take the opportunity of having an empty space for this one show, it's very temporal, very shifting. We install next week, it's up through Saturday, and then it's done. Super low stakes, but it's going to be a really fun night to appreciate the work. I'm also going to be posting the pieces and photos on Homesick's Instagram, so people who won't be able to make it Saturday night can still see the show digitally and share it with friends and family. It also means the work will be out there and other curators can see it and potentially invite these artists to more shows, that's the hope, to be giving them a platform.

 

LL: I did want to ask: what would you like people to feel at the end of the show?

 

TW: That's a really good question. Personally, I've been going through this in my own mind too, how do you do things for yourself? It can be hard, because sometimes people default to pleasing others or prioritizing other things. But I want these works to show people a real sense of joy in indulgence, that it's not selfish to enjoy life, to want things for yourself, and it's not selfish to take care of yourself.◼︎ 

The inaugural group exhibition Self, Indulgence’ opens July 25th at Homesick Apartment Gallery at 1101 University Ave SE, Minneapolis MN 55414. Hours are 7-10 pm for one night only. The dress theme is Adornment as Expression.