06/03/2026
The Art Table officially formed in 2023, but the idea itself began much earlier, back in 2018. 🌿
Before the exhibits, before the workshops, before the community knew what it was, it started as a conversation and a belief that artists deserved more room to exist, collaborate, and be seen without constant gatekeeping or limitations.
I never came from the traditional art world. I never went to art school, and much of my own work never felt like it fit neatly into many gallery spaces. Over time, I realized so many other artists felt the same way. Talented people were being overlooked simply because they were emerging, unconventional, financially limited, or creating work outside of what was considered “safe” or expected.
So instead of waiting for a seat at someone else’s table, I built one.
What started as an idea eventually became The Art Table in 2023, and from there things moved quickly. One successful exhibit turned into another. Artists from all different backgrounds, mediums, ages, and experience levels began showing work side by side. Painters, photographers, musicians, writers, performers, and first time artists all sharing space together. That was always the mission.
What many people do not know is that all of this unfolded while I was grieving the loss of my father in 2023.
I could have stopped. I could have disappeared into grief. Instead, I poured myself into creating. Into building. Into community. Into veterans programming in honor of my father. Into giving artists opportunities I wish more people had access to years ago.
Along the way, I also learned some very difficult lessons about people, boundaries, leadership, loyalty, and what happens when you open spaces with genuine intentions. I learned that not everyone enters creative communities for the same reasons. Some people come to create, some come to connect, some come to heal, and some come carrying unresolved things that eventually spill into the space itself.
There were moments that deeply hurt me. Moments where I overextended myself for others while navigating grief, health struggles, and life behind the scenes. Moments where I realized that building something meaningful also means learning who truly values it, who values you, and who only values access to what you created.
But even with all of that, I would not erase what The Art Table became.
It changed me. It challenged me. It taught me. It connected me to incredible artists and community members. And it proved that there are people still searching for authentic creative spaces where they can simply exist as they are.
This past year especially forced me to slow down and reevaluate many things. My health journey is still ongoing, and I am still navigating what the road ahead looks like. But if there is one thing I know for certain, it is this:
We are not done. We have only just begun.
So today, I want to personally congratulate The Art Table on three years. Not because it was easy, but because it wasn’t. Because despite grief, setbacks, betrayal, health struggles, and moments where I questioned everything, it still exists.
And so do I.
Thank you to every artist, veteran, student, collaborator, and community member who genuinely supported The Art Table and believed in what it could become.✨
