Finding Wonderland


Mission:
To establish an immersive art library, artist retreat, and museum that honors myth, fairy tale and folklore. This place is called Wonderland.

Purpose: To preserve and celebrate wonder in children of all ages through the use of fairy tale and folklore. We encourage original contributions through writing, sculpting, painting, music and other forms of artistic expression.

History: In the summer of 2020, Angi, her husband Silas and their brother Lee journeyed to the UK seeking residency. Because of Silas’s status as a member of European Union, he qualified to apply for residency status prior to the Brexit deadline in December 2020. Though no one wanted to travel amidst Covid, all ventured forth in hopes of securing a magical property to house the Wonderland collection in the land that gave us Camelot, the 100 Acre Wood and Hogwarts.

This blog begins with the first day of that journey and continues all around the UK, following our adventures as the FINDING WONDERLAND path unfolds.

  • 1997

    While Angi lies paralyzed from the neck down in a hospital, Wendy Froud gifts her a healing faerie, which also gives her hope. Angi decides the best way to share this hope is to create a place where people can meet these kinds of creatures and have magical interactions of their own. It will be a place called Wonderland.
  • 1999

    Angi opens Duirwaigh Gallery, the first gallery to exclusively exhibit myth and fairy tale artwork to an international audience online. Sales from the gallery are used to raise funds for Wonderland.
  • 2003

    Duirwaigh Publishing opens, publishing mythic prints and greeting cards.
  • 2004

    Angi creates “A Knock at the Door”, featuring the artists of Duirwaigh Gallery. The film is seen by millions of viewers —passed from email to email—before the era of YouTube.
  • 2006

    “A Knock at the Door” sells out its first book printing. Angi and Silas move to Taos, New Mexico to create the first version of Wonderland.
  • 2009

    Wonderland opens as a part of Angi and Silas’s home.
  • 2010

    Angi writes and publishes “Doorways and Dreamfields: A True Fairy Tale” which charts the evolution of Duirwaigh Gallery and its mission to create a non profit museum and artist retreat.
  • 2011

    Wonderland hosts its first workshops and retreats in Taos, New Mexico.
  • 2014

    Angi launches Muse Juice Tours which takes wonder seekers around the globe to find myth and magic.
  • 2020

    Trip to England to look for Wonderland’s permanent home. FINDING WONDERLAND, the journey of establishing a place for fairy tale— begins! The latest articles and videos appear on this page below. To watch from the beginning, you’ll have to go all the way back to page one.
August 30, 2020

The Clootie Tree –

So we did a magic thing yesterday. We took ourselves into the deep woods, to an ancient Druidic site said to be favored by the faeries. We tied a wish to the clootie tree and asked the faeries to favor our journey to establish Wonderland in the land of my ancestors. I started our art galley DUIRWAIGH as a place of myth and magic online over 20 years ago. The word “DUIRWAIGH” refers to “druis”, meaning magical knowledge. It’s how we got the word “druid” and eventually the English word “door.” I’ve been seeking to secure a portal between worlds […]
August 29, 2020

Finding Wonderland – House Love!!

Well we’ve done it! We’ve seen our first house and managed to fall in love. It’s quite delish. Set in a teeny tiny fairy tale village outside of Edinburgh. SWOONAGE. Look in the comments for video. We did a walk through and managed to capture about 80% of the place. (It’ll take me a few hours to edit.)They tell you not to fall in love with the first person you meet. I think it might be too late.
August 28, 2020

Explorations…

HEY SCOTLAND!! WE GOT OUT!! Three intrepid explorers hit the beach today in search of selkie songs and pirate coves. I knew we were on the right path when we stumbled upon a WOW in the sand. My sentiments exactly. Tomorrow begins the quest for Wonder Hunter Headquarters. So watch this space to join the adventure!