The Art World Works From Home: Storm King Senior Curator Nora Lawrence Is Working on a Kiki Smith Show and Taking Up Birdwatching

The art world may be on
lockdown, but it certainly does not stop. During this unprecedented
time, we’re checking in with art-world professionals, collectors,
and artists to get a glimpse into how they are working from
home.

Storm King Senior Curator Nora
Lawrence may be one of the only people in the world lucky enough to
spend quarantine with a world-renowned arts institution in their
backyard. While the 500-acre Storm King property remains closed to
the public, Lawrence is sheltering nearby in upstate New
York.

During a typical year,
Lawrence’s job entails organizing exhibitions like 2018’s
Indicators: Artists on Climate
Change.
Now, however,
Lawrence is focused on making sure
that shows originally slated for early spring will be ready on a
moment’s notice when Storm King can safely reopen. 

Lawrence spoke with us back in April about her new
hobby—birdwatching—and browsing virtual exhibitions for
inspiration.

Where is your new “office”? 

A bedroom in an 1890s
farmhouse. 

What are you working on right now (and were any projects of
yours interrupted by the lockdown)?

Most immediately, I’m working on
an exhibition of flags created by Kiki Smith and the presentation
of a new, site-specific outdoor work by Martha Tuttle. Both were
slated to open in early spring and we hope to have these new works
in place when we are able to safely reopen. I’m so accustomed to
set deadlines and opening dates—it is interesting to realize I’ll
just be ready on a moment’s notice this time!

How has your work changed now that you are doing it from
home?

I’ve been trying to connect with
people via video as much as possible, since I know I won’t see them
for some time. I have a few coworkers who I love who sit right near
me, but since they’re not in my department (curatorial), I don’t
talk with them now—I need to change that. I need to figure out new
ways to meet artists and other curators during this
time.

What are you reading, both online and off?

Online—the New York
Times, Gothamist, the Washington Post,
Artforum.  Off—Rachel Cusk’s Outline. An extremely sweet mid-grade children’s novel
called Pax,
about a boy trying to reunite with his pet fox. 

Have you visited any good virtual exhibitions
recently?

Brandon Ndife’s sculpture show
at Bureau—we were due to meet and walk through it together on
opening day back in March and we never got to—makes me sad. There’s
a sculpture called Hygge that feels outrageous, and the staggering,
overlooked organic growths he has created are just perfect for
right now.

Have you taken up any new hobbies?

Birdwatching. We found a giant
nest with two bald eagles. We’ve also taken to getting perfect
natural spring water from a magical pipe by the side of the
road—internet approved, and wonderfully ridiculous to my friends in
NYC.  

What is the first place you want to travel to once this is
over?

So many answers!

If you are feeling stuck while self-isolating, what’s your
best method for getting un-stuck?

I’ve been listening to old
podcasts—2018 or earlier. Memories of regular life!

What was the last TV show, movie, or YouTube video you
watched?

I just started watching
Unorthodox.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved
Before was recommended
as well, and it was a wonderful distraction!

If you could have one famous work of art with you, what would
it be?

John Baldessari’s
Throwing Three Balls in the Air
to Get a Straight Line (1973). I love looking at that sky, especially
now.

What are you most looking forward to doing once social
distancing has been lifted? 

I just want to do the same
things, but in a normal way. I want to swim in the lake my parents
live on with my dad, without feeling like I’m a danger to
him.

Favorite recipe to cook at home?

Pasta with tomatoes, garlic, and
warm, wilty greens.

The post The Art World Works From Home: Storm King Senior
Curator Nora Lawrence Is Working on a Kiki Smith Show and Taking Up
Birdwatching appeared first on artnet News.