Beth Reitmeyer

Nashville, Tennessee

Storm

Beth Reitmeyer (she/her/hers)
2020–2021
Acrylic, glitter, and film on acetate, thread, LEDs

Storm investigates clouds as metaphors to the hardships, dreams, and joys of life, specifically as a metaphor for the storms of the COVID-19 pandemic, crushing racial inequalities, and Nashville’s March 3, 2020 tornado. In March 2021, my studio at CONVERGE:Nashville flooded due to four days of torrential rain. The water rose @3 feet, but since the sculptures were hanging from the ceiling, they survived unharmed. During VINEGAR’s residency, I worked and sewed on the darkest of the clouds to date. VINEGAR's residency provided me with some light in the midst of a dark time for me, and the artists within the program inspired me, allowing me to keep going.

The dream is to install Storm, a room full of thundering, glowing cloud sculptures, once it is safe for people to physically experience art again. The hope is that as Storm rages, it will give viewers the opportunity to pause and contemplate the hardships from the past year, its implications, strength that comes from weathering these storms and allowing them to change us. Storm's lighted sculptures hang, ranging in size from 2ft to 4ft. The sculptures are made from painted plastics and films, including mirrored iridescent films, which are sewn together. LED lights within the clouds flash and pulse, creating a sublime experience and space for meditating on the events from over the past year. The installation gives space for people to sit, pause, think, and discuss, an opportunity to tell stories of survival and hope from the past year. My goal is to create an interactive experience that gives people an opportunity to share with one another their storms, to share the bad and good from the past, and find hope through our community.