The Things We Carry: What’s In Your Suitcase? | Group Exhibit | 3rd Floor Mini Gallery

In the new Western Avenue Studios exhibit, The Things We Carry: What’s in Your Suitcase?, artists transform miniature wooden suitcases into deeply personal visual stories. Each piece reflects a journey—through life changes, migration, disability, love and loss, dreams, resilience, and the unexpected turns along the way.

The exhibit will be on view in the Third Floor Gallery at Western Avenue Studios from May 17th through July 13. With an opening reception on Saturday, May 16th: 4PM – 6PM.

The project invited participation from anyone living, working, or studying in Lowell. Artists of all ages and backgrounds responded, including participants from the Lowell Senior Center, Butler Middle School, Refuge Art School, the Lowell Association for the Blind, Thrive Communities, and Western Avenue Studios.

Each artist began with the same object: a small wooden suitcase. From there, the results diverged in striking and imaginative ways. Using materials ranging from paint, paper, wool, and clay to metal, sand, thread, plastic figures, and found objects, the suitcases evolved into intricate, expressive works. Some remain intact, while others have been cut, drilled, expanded, or transformed into larger sculptural environments.

The exhibit is curated by Jan Whitted, a Western Avenue Studios mixed media artist and founder of Creative Adventures. The idea for the project began with a rediscovered collection of 75 miniature suitcases from Artbeat, her former creativity store and studio in Arlington, which closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I knew these little boxes would evoke memories and emotions,” said Whitted. “I wanted to create a space where people could share their stories—and where others could see reflections of their own experiences.”

The Things We Carry invites visitors to slow down, look closely, and consider the visible and invisible stories we all bring with us.