For the past several years I have been developing a long-term heart project I’ve called the ARTBARN. I didn’t know if it would ever come to fruition, but all of the elements have finally come together. The first annual ARTBARN will be held this June 15th! The idea behind the ARTBARN is to create a creative classroom and annual festival of site-specific work with artists and audiences who return each year as it grows.
My vision for the ARTBARN is as follows:
- Each year a theme is chosen
- A group of innovative artists from around the globe and across disciplines (theatre, dance, film, music, visual and culinary art) is invited to be a part of the next summer’s ARTBARN
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Between festivals each artist works independently to develop a new piece of work inspired by the year’s theme
- Each year, immediately preceding the ARTBARN, all of the participating artists come together in a beautiful spot in the woods for a 2 week retreat. During the retreat they:
- Further develop their work and mount it site-specifically on the property
- Open up their rehearsal spaces for artists from other disciplines to observe a different process
- Share meals together each day where they can work out problems they are having, make new friends, connect, and create a community
- Have the space to allow organic collaborations to form
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At the end of the 2 week retreat, we invite an audience to come and experience all of the work inspired by one singular theme, for one weekend in the woods. Ideally this involves being able to take a walk through the woods and stumble upon an installation, hearing music coming from unlikely places, seeing films projected on the side of a barn, eating delicious food and so much more!
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And at the end of the weekend, the next theme is selected and the process starts again.
Last year I set the goal of finding the first home for ARTBARN and getting the first iteration of it up and running for the summer of 2013. I was fortunate enough to have been put in contact with the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony in Woodstock, NY. Byrdcliffe is the oldest arts colony in the U.S. and the property is absolutely gorgeous. They have an active artists residency program and a new annual summer festival. So in this first year we have been chosen as their resident theatre company and have been invited to create and share a piece of work as part of the Byrdcliffe Arts Festival this June 14-16th. This summer I am working with a fantastic team of collaborating artists to develop ONE piece (HOME STRETCH) pulling on as many of the fundamental ideas of the ARTBARN format as possible (shared meals, site-specific staging, working across disciplines, being in residence with other artists, sharing as part of a festival).
This project came from my desire to make meaningful work with people who inspire me, and to create a space for new collaborations to happen. Every summer I want to build the ideal creative classroom where I can bring together the most exciting emerging artists and we can live, work, and learn from each other. And then I want to share our work with a growing community.
I need your help in making this a reality. Right now I specifically need help financially and have been fortunate enough to receive fiscal sponsorship through Fractured Atlas so that any and all contributions made are tax deductible. Click HERE to contribute $5. Or $500. Or More. Or less. All donations are tax deductible and anything not used for this Summer’s ARTBARN will go toward the budget for next summer.
Any amount, great or small will help. As a part of our community, please consider contributing toward this first iteration of making the ARTBARN come to life!
Here are some other ways you can help make this a reality:
- Shoot me an email telling me you support my plan and want to stay on a mailing list about future ARTBARN developments!
- Come see the show, and then give us some ideas for next year’s theme!
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Help spread the word!
Whether or not you can pitch in financially please come and see what we make! Your support is so important to us.
This year’s piece, HOME STRETCH will be presented for one performance only as part of the Byrdcliffe Arts Festival on Saturday, June 15th at 7:30pm in Woodstock, NY. We would love to have you join us! Look at the previous post for more information about the show itself.