Love in the Time of Incarceration: An Unconventional Couple's Journey

Strategic Insights -

Tara Willis and Damon Locks, a museum curator and a visual artist, met through a theater project at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, which focused on incarceration. Despite a 19-year age gap, they formed a strong bond, and their relationship blossomed. The couple's unique connection was fostered through shared interests, including art, music, and science fiction. After a dream about their relationship, Dr. Willis confessed her crush to Mr. Locks, and they shared their first kiss. Their romance was marked by intimate moments, such as preparing pasta sauce together and singing to the "West Side Story" soundtrack in his car. The couple's love story is a testament to the power of connection and shared experiences.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tara Willis and Damon Locks met through a theater project at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, which focused on incarceration.
  • Despite a 19-year age gap, they formed a strong bond and eventually confessed their love for each other.
  • Their relationship was fostered through shared interests, including art, music, and science fiction.
  • Mr. Locks surprised Dr. Willis on their wedding day with a song he composed, titled "Walking Into the Room With You."
  • The couple's love story was marked by intimate moments, such as preparing pasta sauce together and singing to the "West Side Story" soundtrack in his car.
  • Dr. Willis wore a chartreuse gown, a mix of old Hollywood and '90s "Star Trek," while Mr. Locks wore a burnt-orange nehru jacket with matching pants made out of mud cloth.
  • Their wedding was officiated by Anna Martine Whitehead, a choreographer, close friend, and artistic collaborator of the couple, who became a Universal Life minister for the occasion.
  • The couple had a close-knit community involved in the wedding, with friends and family getting into the act, as well as the couple, who jumped the broom as part of their first dance.
  • Dr. Willis spent 11 months on a postdoctoral fellowship at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, before the couple decided to get married.
  • Mr. Locks's musical group, Black Monument Ensemble, released its second album, "Now," with an electro-funk beat reflecting the pain of Black Lives Matter.

Statistics:

  • The couple got married on October 12, 2021, at Experimental Station, a nonprofit cultural institution in Chicago.
  • The wedding was attended by 160 guests.
  • Mr. Locks is 56 years old, and Dr. Willis is 38 years old.
  • Dr. Willis graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's in English and dance from Barnard and received a master's and a doctorate, both focusing on Black experimental dance in performance studies, from N.Y.U.
  • Mr. Locks graduated with a bachelor of fine arts focusing on printmaking from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
  • The couple spent a few weeks at Mr. Locks's Chicago apartment and then a couple of weeks at Dr. Willis's apartment when Covid hit.

Sources:

  • "New York Times", October 2021
  • "Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center" at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.
  • "School of the Art Institute of Chicago"
  • "Barnard College"
  • "New York University"