In late 2024, I received an inquiry from a curator, Belinda Colon, whom I have long admired and respected, inviting me to exhibit. It wasn't a difficult decision per se, but I initially hesitated because I had been planning to take a break from exhibiting. I've been fortunate over the past couple of years, managing invitation after invitation to shows. However, as the seasons began to change, balancing art and life was admittedly becoming a challenge. I realized that the demands of preparing for shows were replacing some of the joy I felt from creating my art, and as a result, I wanted to spend time in the studio—ruminating, experimenting, and developing new work.

Belinda, however, made it easy to agree despite my initial hesitation. Spring Street Gallery is located in a beautifully welcoming space, a renovated church that is quaint yet modern, featuring large stained glass windows. It serves multiple purposes—gallery, meeting space, and even has a small stage. It's the type of place where you want to be and find inspiration, a place that Belinda has championed for meaningful, thoughtful, and open exchanges. Another motivating factor was being paired with another artist whom I am fortunate to consider a friend and deeply respect, Joy Muller-McCoola (be sure to check out Joy's work).

In previous years, Joy and I frequently spent time together in gallery settings as educators, leading discussions with students about the essence of art and the drive to create. As both educators and practicing artists, these discussions came naturally to us, were easy to manage, and always left us feeling inspired and invigorated. In essence, I was eager to share a space with someone with whom I had engaged in meaningful conversations for years and shared some common interests. We are both deeply passionate about experiencing and engaging with nature, learning about the natural world, and are concerned with environmental issues. Although we had participated in large group exhibitions, this was the first time our works would be displayed in a space that allowed them to interact with each other.

In summary, I felt the curator's statement best captured the feeling of the exhibition:

The Awakening Spring exhibit balances both specificity and expansiveness. It conveys the sculptural aspect of Hutchinson and Muller-McCoola’s work, highlights the mixed media element of the two different artists, and evokes a journey—perfect for capturing the evolving, organic feel of spring.

The artwork is fluid, dynamic, explorative and transformational—both of nature and the artist’s creative processes emphasizing the dimensionality of the work. The exhibition is an experience, something for visitors to immerse themselves in.

Overall this exhibition was a great success, one I was thankful for the gentle guidance of the curator to abate any initial worries, and grateful for the opportunity to show with such an inspiring fellow artist and friend.

Learn more about Awakening Spring and view our artists talk