Grand Rapids-based artists Sierra Cole & Barbara Lash collaborated on an installation titled “The Conservatory of Dreams” for the 2024 World of Winter Festival. Cole, a fiber artist, and Lash, a mixed media artist, combined their talents to create three visually unique “home-like” structures in Canal Park that will be on display for the duration of the festival.

At Canal Park, visitors can experience the interactive structures adorned in tokens, lights, treasures and memories. Visitors are encouraged to add their own tokens and memories to the art, creating a shared experience for all.

Cole and Lash said the early stages of the design process for the structures began with the collection of discarded toys and materials, contributing to a purposefully organic artistic environment. When the pair began assembling the structures, color and texture were added with handmade yarn weavings and other mixed media components which characterizes their artistic style. 

“We wanted to create an experience that captured this liminal space where dreams for the future take root,” Cole and Lash said. “We also sought to create a piece that was more contemplative and quiet and invites closer inspection and thought– a piece where a discarded toy might spark a memory of play or the sparkly glint of metal might mimic looking at the stars.”

Cole and Lash said building an evolving work of art adds a layer of shared connection that can create deep ties between viewers, as each visitor can, in their own way, become part of the art. The artists said this concept was of particular importance to them during the conceptual stage of their design process. 

“At a time when our world seems divisive and scattered, especially in the wake of pandemic isolation, we wanted to create a piece that reinforces that, as a community, we have similar goals and dreams,” Cole and Lash said. “We may be different, but those differences help create a rich tapestry.”

Through the “Conservatory of Dreams,” the themes of collaboration, shared experiences and community reinforcement extended to the artists as well. Cole and Lash said collaborations like this are key for introducing a spark to their creative engines. 

“For us full-time solo artists, collaboration is a potent catalyst for artistic growth,” Cole and Lash said. “Stepping out of our individual studios and into the shared dance of co-creation forces us to confront new perspectives, embrace the unexpected and push the boundaries of our comfort zones.”

The pair’s installation is not where their collaboration ends. Cole and Lash are also in the process of arranging a free, all-ages workshop to guide visitors through “a whimsical journey of dreamscapes and aspirations.” 

With “Conservatory of Dreams,” Cole and Lash hope spectators will contribute to the evolving piece with their own memories and identity to create an unforgettable shared experience.