Let’s Test a Theory
The plane is about to take off! Are you ready New Zealand?
Whakatāne Museum, located in Whakatāne, New Zealand, has been testing a theory for nearly a full year – do artists and volcanoes go together? In order to prove this concept, Museum Director Eric Holowacz established partnerships with other organizations and created a handful of 1-8-week residencies for artists coming from all walks of life and all 4-corners of the world. I’m excited to say I have been selected to participate in exploring the idea of how volcanoes, the changing earth, and art move and form in tandem.
As the earth boils below, I’m going to explore the wonder and raw power of the natural world to determine how the experience might transform the creative process in mysterious new ways.
It is an honor to be a part of The Volcanic Artist Residency in Whakatāne New Zealand. I will live and work in an entirely different place, in the southern hemisphere, where the sun rises first. I am excited and energized to experience a wholly new community and curious as to how it might affect my work.
Makin’ Moves!
I am no stranger to new places! I recently moved my studio from Sedona, AZ to the Mermaid Capital of Texas, San Marcos. Within twelve months I will have worked in three very different environments, one of Earth, one of Water and one of Fire.
I’m a visual artist and art activist, originally from Texas, but I have enjoyed the magnificence of working in Sedona, Arizona for the past fifteen years.
I love Sedona, its red rock landscape and perfect weather. The light and spacious skies, the possibility of solitude in the studio or on a hike sustained a completely different perspective, outwardly and inwardly. It provided a strong foundation for my practice to grow, and I continue to be enamored and respectful of the Earth energy Sedona exudes.
An Impetus and An Opportunity
I am so excited to be leaving for the 4-week long international residency. I am fortunate to be just one of a handful of artists and other creative professional fields who have been chosen to participate in this working theory developed by the Whakatāne Museum. The program provides artists in residence housing, work space, field visits and connections to unique Eastern Bay of Plenty environments.
The invitation to participate in the Volcanic Artist Residency pilot program was the impetus for me to begin work on my newest project, a Comix Journal. The Journal will explore living and working in three very different environments. I have always been intrigued by how place affects art. Now I can chronicle my journey from the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona to the artesian springs, rivers and aquifer of San Marcos, Texas, and finally to the volcano Whakaari near Whakatane, New Zealand, on the other side of the world, where it perches far south, part of the Ring of Fire!
Keep up with me on Facebook during this exciting adventure in New Zealand!