A Small Umbrella On the Back of His Neck by John and Robin Gumaelius
Sitka Center welcomes a second group of spring residents to live and work during April and May 2008. The group includes three visual artists, three children, a musician, and a writer. Claudia Borgna is an installation artist from the UK who works with plastic bags and other discarded materials. John and Robin Gumaelius are collaborative ceramic artists from Washington State and they are joined at Sitka by their three young daughters Ruby, Eliza, and Carmela. Writer Kim Griswell will work on material for children's nonfiction. Musician Judy Linsenberg will work on individual music for the recorder as well as co-teach the Winds and Waves recorder workshop May 3-5th. Please stay tuned for updates on the resident's progress and mark your calendars for the celebration of their work at the Open House on May 17th !
Installation by Claudia Borgna
Claudia Borgna
Recipient of the Norman and Dolores Winningstad Residency
Claudia Borgna received her BA, specializing in sculpture and installation from the London Metropolitan University, UK. Borgna works with discarded materials, and most recently the ubiquitous plastic bag. For Borgna, the plastic bag embodies contradictory qualities: meant to be disposable but they take 10-20 years to biodegrade in landfills, they are thin and easily torn but also strong, mass-produced and full of possibility. Borgna will execute a large-scale installation piece made with plastic bags and other local materials while in residence at the Sitka Center.
Halo Birds by John and Robin Gumaelius
John and Robin Gumaelius
Recipients of the Maribeth Collins Residency
Collaborative artists and partners, John and Robin Gumaelius are known for their figurative ceramic sculptures. Their work was recently included in the Grand Re-opening of the Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland, OR. Both John and Robin received their BFA's from Brigham Young University, UT and Robin went on to acquire her MFA in 2000 from Ohio State University. During their residency, John and Robin will take advantage of the rich ecology and diversity of wildlife on Cascade Head to stimulate new forms in their sculptures.
Kim Griswell, at work near Sitka Center Current cover of
Highlights for Children magazine
Kim Griswell
Recipient of the George and Margot Thompson Residency
A graduate of Humboldt State University, Kim Griswell holds masters' degrees in literature and writing. She is a professional writer, editor and workshop-leader. For the last five years, Griswell has worked as the coordinating editor of Highlights for Children , the iconic children's magazine, which has been in print for over 60 years. Griswell is also a published writer of short stories, articles and non-fiction works. While a resident at the Sitka Center, Kim Griswell, will focus on researching material for several children's nonfiction writing projects. Visit her website, www.kimgriswell.com, to follow her work and experiences while at Sitka!
Juith Linsenberg, recorder musician
Judith Linsenberg
Recipient of the Oregon Coast Recorder Society Residency
Judith Linsenberg performs professionally with the recorder and for the last 17 years has been the Artistic and Managing Director of Baroque ensemble, Musica Pacifica. Linsenberg received a Fulbright scholarship to Austria, where she was awarded musical honors at the Vienna Academy of Music as a recorder soloist. She is also a graduate of Princeton University, holds a doctorate in early music from Stanford University, and has taught at Stanford and the San Francisco Conservatory. Linsenberg will be using her time at the Sitka Center to make arrangements for the recorder and will co-teach the ‘Winds and Waves Recorder Workshop' at the Sitka Center in May 2008.