Past Initiatives
Founded in 2016, Urban Art Tripping was born from a passion for combining art and travel—crafting immersive journeys that took small groups of women to unconventional destinations, where they could engage deeply with creativity, culture, and one another. These curated experiences were more than just trips; they were opportunities to explore new artistic landscapes, exchange fresh ideas, and forge meaningful connections through shared discovery.
From the vibrant art studios of Santa Fe to the rich creative scenes of Tbilisi, Kyoto, and Cape Town, these guided explorations offered participants an intimate look into local artistry and cultural expression. While these signature tours will no longer continue in their original format, the spirit of Urban Art Tripping remains alive. The concept of art-infused travel can evolve into exciting new forms—whether as exclusive sponsored excursions or as impactful fundraising journeys in support of ArtBridge.
By reimagining these experiences, Urban Art Tripping continues to champion the intersection of art, travel, and community, creating new avenues for artistic engagement and global connection.
Urban Art Tripping
2016 - 2020
Strange Bedfellows
2019
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s iconic Bed-In for Peace, Urban Art Tripping and Ellsworth Gallery partnered to create Strange Bedfellows—a four-week, community-engaged performance piece that reimagined the couple’s original act of passive protest.
From October 24 to November 24, 2019, the front gallery space was transformed into an intimate, fully furnished bedroom, visible to the public through its large front window. Over 100 participants—mostly artists, but also non-artists—signed up for three-hour time slots to stage their own in-bed performances. Whether lying alone, with a partner, or even a pet, each participant made the space their own, expressing themselves freely, without fear or judgment.
Fifty years earlier, Lennon and Ono had invited the world into their bedroom, challenging perceptions and sparking conversations about peace. Would they get naked? Do drugs? Have sex? No—their protest was about something deeper: rejecting the corruption and indifference of the outside world by returning to the bed as a place of intimacy, connection, and self-reflection. Strange Bedfellows reignited those same ideas, drawing a wide audience and sparking dialogue in Santa Fe.
The event was fully booked and well attended by the public. See the news coverage below from the Santa Fe New Mexican.
I R I S
2018
A groundbreaking collaboration between artist Stephen Auger, Axel Contemporary, Lili Pierrepont, and others, IRIS is an immersive experience that merges rhythmic sound, pulsating light, and vibrational resonance to transcend the boundaries of the intellectual mind and awaken new states of perception.
Presented to the Santa Fe community at both the Santa Fe Institute’s InterPlanetary Festival and the CURRENTS New Media Festival from June 7–24, 2018, IRIS attracted over 2,000 participants from Santa Fe and beyond.
Inside a custom-designed sensorium, attendees were immersed in synchronized sound and light frequencies that induced striking visualizations—spirals, fractals, waves, radials, honeycombs, pinwheels, and "seed" patterns—unique to each individual's perception. Participants were invited to wear monitors tracking their brain activity before, during, and after the three-minute “ride.” Almost all reported a profound shift in mindset, a transformation reflected in their measured brain wave activity.
Engineered at the intersection of neuroscience, art, and entertainment, IRIS is a fusion of cutting-edge science and creative ingenuity. “Three parts neurobiology and one part magic,” says creator Stephen Auger, “each IRIS encounter generates a unique moment of wonder and awe.” By synchronizing light, color, sound, and story, IRIS offers each participant a deeply personal journey—one that rekindles a sense of forgotten magic and possibility.