FOR A MOMENT

FOR A MOMENT marks a pause for artist Julian Jamaal Jones and invites guests to share a family-style meal that doubles as a brief reunion for Julian and Alan and a celebration of their contemporary takes on time-honored art forms.

Before turning his focus to visual and textile arts, Julian spent years studying culinary and pastry arts. From culinary school in Rhode Island and pastry schools in France and Chicago, he returned home to Indianapolis and an internship at bygone Cerulean, where he first met chef Alan Sternberg. Now the chef at Bluebeard, Alan is known for his appreciation of local ingredients and, like Julian, his design eye. Today, both men approach their current craft as a point of connection with their pasts and an ongoing conversation with identity and culture.

Culinary and textile arts share a legacy of parallels, from their original, most essential functions in human survival to their contemporary roles as storytellers and expressions of culture. Both disciplines use color, texture, and structure to create and share sensory experiences. Whether combining and revisioning ingredients or fibers, they require structural planning, like a recipe or pattern, and indulge in decorative techniques. Traditionally, and true to the way Julian makes quilts and Alan makes food, both pursuits make good use of what’s available.