February 2026 News
Hello Friends of Lost and Found Lab — and happy February. Throughout much of the country, the weather has given us plenty to talk about over these past few weeks. We are grateful for the deep coziness of the Lab during the heart of every winter, as it continues to provide us with a creative refuge when the snow falls and temperatures dip outside.
During the month of January, we had sculptor/weaver/storyteller Elvira Clayton with us in the studio. With trunkloads of extraordinary materials, Elvira moved into the studio and entered into a period of singular focus that carried through her entire residency. At the Lab, she produced several pieces for her solo show, Yearning to Breathe Free, which is now up at Open Source Gallery.
It was an honor to have friends back at the Lab to gather with her for this particular open studio, knowing these pieces were being shared for the very first time before being shipped to the gallery. The materials she worked with at the Lab included woven plastic tote bags, often referred to as “refugee bags,” as well as tarps, bells, whistles and zip ties. Each piece spoke to and interpreted current events that were unfolding during the month of Elvira’s residency – speaking deeply to, as Elvria worded it - shared feelings of vulnerability, trauma and memory…. Good luck Elvira with all of your projects on the horizon for the months ahead.
Elvira Clayton Open Studio Gathering, January 24, 2025
We would like to take this opportunity to also reflect on the extraordinary life of Ginny Campbell (1922 - 2025), whose home, built in 1947, sat on the very spot that Lost and Found Lab now rests. Josie and Jim (Stevenson) remained dear friends and neighbors of Ginny’s over many decades.
Lab Co-Director, Josie Merck & Ginny Campbell inside Ginny’s living room, which is now the Lab’s gallery space.
Several easter egg gems can be found throughout the Lab that nod to Ginny’s warm presence - the wooden folding ironing board in the laundry room, as well as her front door key, kept on the Lab’s front windowsill (which, she shared, she never used).
The Lab was constructed with extraordinary care, repurposing as much of the Campbell House original building materials as possible. The millwork in the kitchen, AIR living suite, library, and office were all created using woodwork from inside of Ginny’s home. Perhaps the cozy and comforting feel of both the Lab’s interior spaces, as well as the surrounding landscape, can be attributed to the full life she lived here with her husband, legendary WW I pilot Douglass Campbell, and their family in Cos Cob.
Ginny loved Greenwich, CT’s beaches, boating on Long Island Sound, was an avid gardener and loved landscaping her property. She loved music, regularly attending the Metropolitan Opera and Greenwich Philharmonic. She was also a diehard fan of the New York Mets, who replaced her affinity for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
We were lucky to have had the chance to give Ginny a tour of Lost and Found Lab soon after it launched. Thank you Ginny, for creating a true sense of place on this property…. And here’s to all the great souls that continue to contribute to the stillness and joy of the Lab’s atmosphere, inside and out.
Looking ahead - we eagerly await hosting another theater artist at the Lab in the month of March… keep an eye on the Lab’s Instagram feed for a welcome to David Miller of Bloomsburg, PA!