SOAK* 2026
This year we attended SOAK* as an art support camp, bringing several art projects to the event without being responsible for the frontage of a theme camp.
- Ribbit and Zhigalka created Tiny Worlds light table with two interactivity modes, and Ribbit illustrated 7 space-themed tapestries to decorate its popup
- Kalesta hand built a hundred ceramic aliens for Alien Adoption Agency
- Ribbit and Kalesta created Kitty GLitter a trinket trading post and I-spy game
- Rachel brought What’s My Name, an art piece about the different native names for PNW volcanoes
- The Haus Cats and the Cat Monster Mirror made a second appearance
- More Maypoles with The Garden of Eternal Delign
SOAK* had another great theme this year: “Not to Scale”.
Tiny Worlds was designed as a play space for colors and shapes. Some nights over a thousand hand-poured resin tiles were set out for making pixel art. Other nights hundreds of interconnecting shapes allowed participants to build upwards. And wow did people build!
Thanks to everyone who built not-to-scale structures.
Alien Adoption Agency
Each goofy little guy was hand-built out of ceramic clay during the dark months of winter. Kalesta was excited to send them home into the wider world. Participants were encouraged to fill out an adoption form complete with name, portrait, and a destination planet.
Kitty GLitter
Kalesta and Ribbit created a trinket trading litter box adorned by two toy colleges in the shape of a cat.
Each cat was composed of hundreds of tiny toys donated from neighbors, and has an EYE SPY book showing photos some of the toys you could search for.
Cats Cats Cats!
SOAK*’s placement team placed our three cats near several other cats, so there was a little feline sanctuary at the event.
What’s My Name!
Rachel brought What’s My Name about the different names of local volcanoes.
Closing Thoughts
The venue was lovely, a little hot, a few trees, some shade, lots of grass, and all our friends.
Participating as an Art Support Camp was a new experience. Because we weren’t camped next to our art we experienced far fewer people’s reactions to it. Our tiny spot was still lovely, shaded, and let us meet a different set of folks at the event.
Z, as a pool player, was particularly pleased with this year’s bean pool. There was a second more functional pool table at the event were Z played many games; Burners continue to delight. The second photo is “Steve” which was one of Ribbit and Kalesta’s favorite art pieces at the event.
A Silly joke we did for our friend.
Thank you to everyone that makes the event wonderful!
