Bob Clark Beyond: Inspiration

latest inspiration posts

February’s Inspiration of the Month: Mariane Ibrahim’s New Gallery in Mexico City

As I continue to develop Bob Clark Beyond into a platform of connectivity and creativity, I’ll start highlighting an inspiration of the month – dedicated to a person or place that is worth knowing more about. There’s no better person to start with than my friend and gallerist, Mariane Ibrahim, who has just opened her third gallery in Mexico City. Ibrahim was born to Somali parents in New Caledonia but grew up largely in France, and studied advertising before she entered into the art world.

Paul R. Williams: A Black Architectural Pioneer

The movement toward building a racially equitable society that values the power of diversity shouldn’t ever be limited to just one month of the year, and most certainly not the shortest one. Every February, we celebrate Black History Month to highlight the endless contributions Black Americans have made to American society – and the adversity still faced at the hand of it. This month I will take the opportunity to amplify a few black voices and innovators that have inspired me and countless others to put our best foot forward within our communities, passions, and ourselves.

January’s Architect of the Month: HDR

A design-firm specialized in architecture, engineering, environmental and construction services whose work I have admired for many years is HDR Inc. The company’s history spans more than 100 years. Henningson Engineering Company was founded in 1917 in Omaha, Nebraska, by H.H. Henningson, a visionary who cared about rural communities. It was his commitment to people that drove the firm’s incredible growth.

Myrlande Constant’s Paintings with Beads

Myrlande Constant is a Haitian textile artist born in 1968 specializing in Vodou-themed flags. Constant was born in Port-au-Prince, where she learned the art of beading while working with her mother in a wedding dress factory. After quitting that job because her employers wouldn’t pay her, she took a severance pay of knowledge and bags filled with beads – and went on to become one of the most celebrated artists for making Drapo Vodou. Constant started making Vodou flags in the 1990s in an entirely male environment and ultimately became the first woman in Haiti to apply the tambour technique in her work. She radically shifted her nation’s traditional religious art by using glass beads instead of sequins. Constant also prefers constructing large-scale tableaus, describing her work as "painting with beads."

2022 Reading List

I always enjoy using my downtime or travel time to immerse myself in a good book. It’s important for me to stay current with ongoing affairs, whether that’s related to politics, business, or interesting historical stories. Take a look at my 2022 reading list here:

Artists Find Home in Chicago’s Innovative Art World

Some of my great friends and favorite artists are featured in an article by Harper’s Bazaar about Chicago’s transformative art scene. Chicago is widely known as a “laboratory for architectural innovation and experimentation” for its architecture and art. Living in the city, it’s clear that its unparalleled designs translate to various unique projects, artwork, and influences. Harper’s Bazaar takes us into the creative minds of Chicago’s artists, gallerists, curators, community builders, and beyond. The feature analyzes how Chicago became an art-world capital without falling victim to cliches. Many of the incredible people mentioned are my personal friends or colleagues from whom I have procured artwork for the Clark Collection. Working in construction, I highly value the “Art and Science of Building,” and our team collaborates with local artists to incorporate community values in every development and form deeper connections between residents and the spaces we create for them to enjoy.

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Inspiration

I have always had an insatiable curiosity

What causes me to get out of bed every morning is driven by inspiration. Ever since I was a little boy, I was inspired by my insatiable curiosity, which caused me to be a reader, a thinker, and a dreamer.

I can remember being inspired by seeing Bobby Kennedy on TV and watching videotapes of Martin Luther King Jr., and being deeply saddened by their assassination even though I was only 10 years old when I experienced all of this.

As a little boy, rocket flight was a big thing. I remember being fascinated by the moon and the stars and the astronauts exploring them.As humans we are achieving remarkable things that only a handful of years before were just in the imagination.

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