We hope you fail better.

Playful and thoughtful pieces are brought together by New York Times bestselling duo, Brad and Kristi Montague, for their debut exhibition, We hope you fail better., just in time for the release of their new book "Fail-A-Bration." Here, you'll see a colorful look at the journey of bringing an idea to life including struggles, disappointments, determination, joy, and celebration.

Nov 09

-

May 16

Exhibiting Artist

Brad + Kristi Montague

Watch the video series

The Picture Book: A Process

The Montagues

Stories of Impact

Perfectly Playful

Learning to Fail Better

Fail-a-Bration- A Movement

Cultures of Growth

Collaboration

Exhibition Overview

You are cordially invited to a giant fail-a-bration! Bring with you the cake that came out lopsided, the spelling mistakes, or your plant that died. New York Times bestselling duo, Brad and Kristi Montague, have started a movement for kids and adults alike to celebrate creativity and tenacity. This show explores the process of creation from idea to attempt to failure to despair to the discovery of something new. Through playful and thoughtful pieces, this interactive experience will take viewers on a journey that will have their imaginations sparked and humanity nourished.

Sponsors

About the Artists

Brad + Kristi Montague

Brad and Kristi Montague are a creative force for good.

From the viral hit web series, Kid President, to New York Times best-selling picture book, The Circles All Around Us, this small-town couple is making things with big impact. From picture books to community-focused art initiatives, their work involves crafting narratives that foster joy, wonder, and social change. As an award-winning writer and director, Brad brings a rich history of experience and a passion for creating impactful experiences through stories and drawings. With her fine arts and photography expertise, Kristi brings a unique aesthetic vision to their joint endeavors, adding thoughtful texture, vibrant color, and compassionate care. Each project they take on is lovingly hand-crafted and infused with childlike playfulness.

Their shared workspace, Montague Workshop, is a hub of imagination and expression. The two are dedicated to producing impactful art and stories for all ages. Written works include Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome, Becoming Better Grownups, The Circles All Around Us, The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination, and Fail-A-Bration (releasing with this exhibition). They live in rural Tennessee with their two children.

Artist Profile: Brad + Kristi Montague

The Exhibit

EXHIBIT MEDIA

Brad and Kristi Montague present “WE HOPE YOU FAIL BETTER.” From two best-selling picture book creators comes a colorful look at the journey of bringing an idea to life. Featuring an array of works that blend sketches, paint, and paper collage this is a wild and warm invitation to embrace the messy process of creation. 

You’ll experience the joy of having an idea as well as the struggle and disappointment of what happens when expectations and reality collide. It’s an emotional ride and playfully navigated with animated shorts, paper maché surprises, behind-the-scenes scribbles, and interactive displays. With humor and heart, it all culminates to a celebration — or a ‘Fail-a-bration’, sending everyone out into a community of creative, compassionate collaboration.

THERE WILL BE COLOR! AND SCRIBBLES! AND SOUNDS! AND POSSIBLY EVEN A FAKE CAKE!

Fail-a-Bration Resources

To celebrate their newest book and the growing movement around it, the Montague’s teamed up with educators at iTeach from Kennesaw State University to create free Fail-a-bration! resources. Whether it’s for a classroom or a boardroom, kids or grownups, there’s plenty of ways to help the people you care about fail better. There’s discussion guides, projects — even a complete guide to throwing your own Fail-a-bration.

September 16

Special Booked Event

Brad and Kristi will celebrate the release of their brand-new picture book, Fail-A-Bration. Students will get a behind-the-scenes look at how books come together and learn that even published authors have setbacks, struggles, and challenges. Student’s will be inspired by the stories of courageous creativity from other students and invited to join a large interactive project to help people in need!

en_USEN

This Week at the SCA

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts connects people, sparks conversation, and builds community through a bold mix of entertaining, educational, and inspiring creative experiences.

Won’t you join us?

Looking for exhibits?

Main Exhibit

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts is West Michigan’s lakeshore destination for experiencing the joy of professional theater and music, life-changing education for children and adults, and substantive dialogue.

We are a community asset, a collaborative partner, and are deeply committed to building a stronger, more vibrant regional arts & cultural landscape. Nestled along the lakeshore our gallery space provides a unique hub for impactful conversations, outreach, classes and film. We welcome professional artists from around the globe to showcase their art, tell their stories, and provide a space for meaningful connections to transpire.

Our gallery is always free to visit and is open during regular hours. Check our specific hours before visiting by calling the box office at 269-857-2399.

The magic that we create in our gallery space is only made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors throughout the year. We encourage you to explore the list of sponsors for each show and consider how you can thank them for helping us make art accessible to all in West Michigan.

Entertainment at the SCA