Showing Up 2023

Lizzy, Michelle Williams, is a sculptor and arts administrator assistant for her mother at her alma mater, the Oregon College of Art and Craft. She is preparing a show that features clay sculptures of women in joyful or anguished movement, pieces that aim to capture the weight of the body in motion and the subtleties of emotion in every turn of the form. The project sits at the center of her life, and she pours long hours into shaping textures, glazes, and the storytelling of each figure.

Lizzy’s landlord and neighbor Jo, Hong Chau, is a rival artist who keeps the interior of their building buzzing with barbed exchanges and sharp opinions. The tension between them often feels like a quiet, ongoing duel—Jo’s priorities swing toward her own ambitions, like hanging a tire swing in the backyard and prepping her two upcoming shows, while Lizzy tries to keep the practical stuff, such as fixing the hot water heater, from derailing her work. To have enough time to finish her sculptures, Lizzy even takes Tuesday off from work, hoping for uninterrupted studio days.

One night, a cat accident leaves a pigeon trapped inside Lizzy’s house. The bird is maimed, and Lizzy, initially irritated, ends up bringing it outside. Jo discovers the situation the next morning and, true to form, shifts the burden back onto Lizzy, who eventually finds herself caring for the fragile creature. The bird becomes a growing, unlikely bond: Lizzy takes it to the vet, an expense of about $150, and the act of tending to the pigeon becomes a small, intimate part of her life. When Jo finally comes for the bird, Lizzy makes it clear that the distraction cost her glazing time, revealing how closely her art and daily obligations intertwine.

Seeking perspective beyond her studio, Lizzy visits her father at home. He hosts a cadre of hippies who have wandered into his life, a scene that feels less like friendship and more like a distraction from reality. Lizzy learns that her brother Sean has gone six months without contact, a fact that deepens her concern. She tracks him down and finds him increasingly reclusive, convinced that his neighbors are sabotaging his TV antenna. Lizzy reaches out to their mother for support, and in the conversation she is told that Sean is “a misunderstood genius,” a verdict that complicates Lizzy’s sense of family duty and his wellbeing.

The weekend before the show, a setback hits: Lizzy’s final piece burns on one side in the kiln. She travels to see Sean, who is digging a massive pit in his backyard and insisting he hears voices. Others around them choose to look away from his deteriorating state, but Lizzy convinces her mother to come witness what’s happening. The mother stays with Sean, helping him settle down after a mental episode. Although a plan was made for Sean to attend the show, he wanders off, and when Lizzy returns later, he’s not there.

On opening night, the family arrives, including Sean who has taken a bus to join them. Jo arrives with the pigeon, still tethered to the events of Lizzy’s world. Two unsupervised girls remove the bandages from the bird’s wings, a small moment that feels both uncanny and hopeful. The gathering watches as Sean releases the pigeon, and it soars into the air, a quiet symbol of trust and release. Jo and Lizzy step outside to search for it, but gradually they accept that the bird is ready to fly on its own, a small but meaningful victory for everyone involved.