‘Art that encourages social connection.’  When I heard those words for the first time, I was eating lunch with a friend downtown, catching up on our lives since we’d last seen each other. Social connection has always been important to me, especially since 2020, and I wanted to learn more about how Michael Whitney, a creative himself, thought art could encourage communities to engage with it and with one another.

Which brought the conversation to InterArts North. “Wait till you see this space,” he tells me, rubbing his hands together. “It’s enormous - a 14,000 square-foot repurposed grain mill. It’s all warm wood, big windows, open spaces, with so much potential.”

Michael pauses for a second and starts to talk about their upcoming event. “Can you picture it?” He asks. I can tell he’s excited to be part of such a unique collaboration. “If people interacted with art, whether it’s a painting, a photo, something in the fiber arts world, in dancing, theater, or music, how great could that be?” He tells me the spring show will be geared toward social engagement, using interaction as a two-way street. “It’ll invite and require shared participation. It’ll be an experience where the artists, viewers, the audience, and the medium can merge to support each other, while creating human connections – if only for a few minutes that day.”

“Like, for example, you wouldn’t just watch the drum circle – you’d be part of the drum circle?” I ask him. He nods, smiling. This interests me, as I usually watch this form of art from the sidelines. What would it look like for me if I used my hands and leaned into the magic of a drumming circle? Picked up a paintbrush and added a small part of my imagination to the canvas? Hmmmm. 

A few days later, I drove to the location in Ballston Spa and stared at a gorgeous red barn boasting old grain silos. Michael was right, it was a beautiful, open space, with plenty of rooms spread out over the building’s two floors and a cellar they’re envisioning as a ceramic studio with separate entrances from the main building. 

Groups of people were buzzing in and out, setting down their items for the day, getting to work in classes they’d signed up for or projects they were working on. “Our mission is to create a safe and inclusive environment, where we can effectively build community and relationships around artistic practices.” Creative Director Eric Archer Dahlberg says, as he greets me warmly.