The Space Art Installation
Look out, Wisco! Philip Bennett Walker is coming through with a brand new 20 piece art collection for The Space, Lake Geneva's newest wellness center & spa.
For any artist, representation is important. Our team here always says "If you build it, they will come" and it's not only our daily motto, but also proves true every time there's a new opportunity on the horizon.
Philip has shown his art in galleries across the country, from his current home in Northeast Florida, to Miami, to New York City, to Los Angeles and Chicago. As grateful as Philip is to show his work to new audiences, a permanent installation in another city (or a few!) has always been a dream of his.
Once he has a goal in mind, one way or another, Philip is bound to achieve it and I'm proud to say that I've seen this happen many times over.
For Philip to be asked to curate a collection for this incredible space is an achievement and an honor, and the location couldn't be better. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is just miles from the town where his wife, Elizabeth grew up.
Together, they've spent the last two decades traveling here, visiting Elizabeth's relatives and close friends, and spending time in their home away from home catching lake sunsets, day tripping to Chicago, and planning their future second home.
Having close ties with the locals and nurturing relationships from afar proved that Philip can no doubt showcase his art in multiple cities and achieve his dreams.
The timing actually worked out perfectly, as The Space was set to open in May of 2022, and Philip and Elizabeth already had a trip planned for April.
Lots of consideration went into curating the collection. It happened to work out that The Spaces logo is a jaguar that closely resembles many of Philips big cat paintings, so no doubt some of these had to make an appearance.
Intending to coincide with the ideals that The Space represents, Philip and Elizabeth chose an array of originals, prints and hand embellished pieces from his tropical collection.
Being surrounded by nature is a healing scene in itself, and the Walker's wanted to bring the peaceful, lush setting inspired by their favorite Floridian views to The Space.
Traveling cross country is no easy task, and when you're packing 20 pieces of fragile art, its best to be extra, extra careful. It's a good thing we're experts in Tetris - I mean packing art - by now.
The team took stock of inventory, loaded up the art, and the Walkers were off on their trek with Mister Beau of course, to represent and go on his first ever road trip!
Decking out The Space was the easy part - and felt as if the walls were made for Philips art!
He was also invited to do an interview to promote the opening of The Space and share his works with Ardent Digital Media. You can follow along their Instagram page @ardent_digital to see the official full length interview premier!
Elizabeth also has representation in the form of a curated jewelry collection. The pieces represent both her Floridian and Midwest lifestyle and inspirations, and we all know that she’s the master of bridging the gap between timeless and trending, following both her heart and roots.
The collection you’ll find at The Space features lots of one of a kind gemstone-draped styles and coordinating sets, which of course can be mixed and matched with our small batch shark teeth and chokers.
Having much of her design concepts come from Mother Nature was important to incorporate, as with Philip’s art, with the aesthetic and values upheld at The Space.
The team would like to thank everyone at The Space for their support. We can't wait until it's officially open, and for our very first pop up with them - stay tuned for the date!
