HOLD ON/LET GO is a participatory community art project and exhibition by Iowa City artists Heather Steckler and Harper Folsom. The project explores the intersection of memory, purpose, and the act of releasing the things we carry with us. What conditions make it okay to release control over physical possessions, and how does giving up that control allow us to have agency in other aspects of our lives?

Over the past several months, Harper and Heather worked with their Iowa City neighbors to collect objects that residents were holding onto, but wished to let go of. Items might have been inherited from loved ones, accumulated at a meaningful stage of life, or simply been too difficult to throw away. Some participants wanted as many people as possible to appreciate a precious memento, and some never wanted to look at their object again. All varieties of items and ephemera were collected and incorporated into this exhibition. Harper and Heather also provided opportunities to collaborate and repurpose objects through papermaking, cyanotype printing, and collaging during free community workshops.

This exhibition is a culmination of time spent with objects received from Iowa City community members, and the stories embedded within them. The work showcases the creative efforts of the artists’ collaboration with each other, and with the community as a whole.