Colman Commons and Terrain: Making Room for Art, Making Room for Each Other

Arts & CultureThe SanctuaryAshleigh McCurdyColman Commons

Oct 13

Ginger Ewing (left) and Ashleigh McCurdy (right) pose at the historic Jensen-Byrd Warehouse in Spokane, Washington. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)

Reflections on Spokane’s Terrain 17 and the heart of Colman Commons

By Ashleigh McCurdy | The Sanctuary

My time at Terrain 17 in Spokane, Washington earlier this month was truly amazing and inspiring. Being there and experiencing the Inland Northwest’s premier art festival firsthand gave me a chance to see what is possible when we create space for art and the people who bring it to life. As someone building a home for art and community here in Seattle, that experience meant so much to me.

One of the most meaningful parts was connecting with Ginger Ewing, Terrain’s co-founder and executive director. I appreciated meeting another woman whose work is rooted in making space for creativity, and seeing how that shared purpose can take shape in another city.

There is something special about meeting someone through a shared purpose. Our spaces have their own identities, and our communities have their own stories. Yet the work itself connects us: opening doors, supporting artists, and creating places where people can come together around something meaningful.

I want to carry that connection, along with the inspiration of the overall experience, from Terrain back to Colman Commons.

Ginger Ewing stands in the historic Jensen-Byrd Warehouse in Spokane, Washington. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)

When I envisioned Colman Commons, I imagined a beautiful, welcoming place where art, culture, celebration, and community could live together. A place where Black artists and their stories would be centered. Where someone could encounter a piece of art, become curious about the person who created it, and feel comfortable enough to stay awhile.

My years in interior design have taught me to consider how a room makes people feel. The light, the arrangement, the colors, the details — all of it contributes to an experience. At Colman Commons, that care extends to the people who fill the space. Who feels welcomed? Whose work is being seen? What might happen when we bring people into the same room?

I bring these questions to the work every day.

Connecting with Ginger gave me a chance to consider those questions alongside someone creating space for art in another city. I value that kind of connection. We can learn from one another, celebrate what each of us is building, and recognize the care that goes into keeping a creative vision alive.

For me, supporting an artist means creating opportunities for people to know their work and understand its value. It means making introductions, inviting people into the gallery, and encouraging them to begin or deepen their relationship with art. It also means giving artists room to tell their own stories.

That is why the relationship between Colman Commons and Converge matters to me. A gallery gives people a place to encounter the work in person. Storytelling lets that connection extend beyond the room. Together, they offer ways for people to discover artists, hear their voices, and become part of the community around them.

Being at Terrain opened my imagination to the possibilities ahead for Colman Commons. It gave me space to think about how our gallery can keep growing, how our programming can bring people together, and how we can deepen relationships between artists and the people who encounter their work. I felt inspired to keep building, with care and intention, on the vision that brought us here.

There is something valuable about being present for an experience like that, taking it in, appreciating what others have created, and letting it expand your sense of what is possible. Terrain offered me that opportunity, and I am grateful for it.

As Colman Commons continues to grow, I want us to keep that sense of welcome at the center. Through exhibitions, gatherings, conversations, and new connections, I hope people find something here that speaks to them, and a reason to return.

Ginger, thank you for the connection and for the work you are doing through Terrain. It means a lot to meet another woman making space for art while continuing to shape my own space.

From Spokane to Seattle, there is so much worth sharing.

With love,
Ashleigh