Artist Residencies at Centrum

The Inspiration of the Natural World

Whenever they are away from their New York City studios, painter Rebecca Allan and her partner, composer Laura Kaminsky, spend as much time as they can hiking. They work together in the same place, but take different things from it. Allan might set up to paint on a rock overlooking river rapids, and Kaminsky might put on headphones and compose. They experience a specific landscape more richly through the other’s creative endeavor.

Growing up, Allan lived near the Great Lakes. The seasonal cycles of Lake Erie and the gradual erosion of a familiar shoreline along that lake became visual touchstones of her early experience of the world. A position at the Seattle Art Museum led her to the Pacific Northwest, where, as a painter, she initially found the size and scale of the Northwest mountains and forests intimidating. “I was overwhelmed by the scale,” Allan says, “especially compared to the Northeastern woodlands. But I became close to two painters, who helped me come to terms with the scale of this place.”

A Walk on the Beach

Centrum creative resident Darsie Beck was in residence for a week this May. While here, he created this piece--both words and drawings.

I love this place, this old military outpost of yesteryear. I am grateful to be here, to call it home, and to be a resident, if only for a little while.

It’s not just Fort Worden and its environs that draw me here; my mother’s family lived on a farm near Chimacum in the 1920’s and my cousin was born in the Forts’ hospital in 1928.  Family, friends and fellow artists have been coming here for years to relax, to re-create and create in this beautiful and inspiring environment.

And now from my cozy residency cabin I prepare for my morning tour, my run; standing, stretching to the ceiling, grateful to be alive and in the moment; running gear donned, stretch again, out the door, into the morning, the new day, smiling, running (really kind of a lope), overcast, beautiful light through the gray clouds. Fresh rain on the pavement, but not now, passing walkers, smiling, exchanging “good mornings” and in my head my running chant begins.

And now down the hill past the old command center, the barracks and the parade grounds, turn left around the corner, down the road that runs along the beach, the light house on point Wilson comes into view, the Cascade’s across the waters of Admiralty Inlet, Mount Baker and its rugged neighboring peaks glistening in the morning sun, glimmering reflections in the water, rounding the bend in the road, looking out across the Straights of Juan de Fuca towards Canada and Victoria.

My eye, like an old fashioned, slow moving hand-cranked movie camera, pans the horizon. Out past the kelp beds, a seals head breaks the surface, slowly turning then disappearing. The scents of scotch broom and seaweed fill the air. Waves gently lap the shore.

Now the path turns north by northwest and the massive concrete remnants of Battery Kenzie come into view. My pace slows as I approach this once formidable “Coastal” line of defense. Now standing here very still in the solitude of the moment, I listen while history rewinds to a moment long ago….in my mind’s eye I can see the lookouts scanning the peaceful morning horizon, ever searching for the unseen enemy. Listening carefully, imagine…the target is sighted, coordinates are plotted, orders called out, soldiers’ footfalls echo through the bunker as they hurry to their battle stations.

Ancient machinery, gears turning, screeching, hoisting powder and shells from the bowels of the bunker to  the gun deck above. Breech open, shell first, then the powder, wheel spins, breech closed, hands cover ears, orders called out, “fire!” Then a thundering explosion, the odor of cordite permeates the air as a 12 inch, 900 pound projectile hurls through the atmosphere, splashing into the water thousands of yards from its origin.

The big gun recoils, disappears back into its carriage, out of sight from the imaginary enemy. All’s quiet now, the soldiers’ voices, their footfalls, the machinery, the gun’s explosion all recede into the past. Seagulls soar, ravens call, the path turns south by southwest heading back along the road, parallel to the beach, back up the hill, round the bend to the right and another right, heading north, still jogging, climbing up again and now on the porch of my cabin, I turn and survey once more this sacred place I get to call home - if only for a little while.

We Do Theater. Simple.

"What makes this day different than any other day?" is the question that guides Llysa (pronounced Lisa) Holland and Andrew Litzky, the co-founders of Theater Simple, who recently completed a residency stay at Centrum.

Together with Monique Kleinhans and many others--including, most of the time, audience members themselves--Theater Simple strips the theatrical experience down to its elemental parts: the imagination of the actor and audience, the playwright's words, and the director's vision.

Theater Simple's site-specific plays change based on the location. The actors use what the landscape gives them so that the performance becomes a response to the site in which it is staged. 

Since 1989, Theater Simple has "produced, performed, and wrangled" over 886 performances, mostly in the United States and Australia. In addition, they have built--with a little help from their friends--seven theater spaces in the U.S. and Australia.

Marc Fendel's Cistern Residency

Musician and Centrum Creative Resident Marc Fendel just completed a residency using the Dan Harpole Cistern here at Fort Worden (and its 44 second reverberation) as a recording and musical instrument.

Marc sent us a link to a brief video clip of Kevin Nortness playing banjo in the Cistern during the residency. Marc tells us that they also recorded in HD. We can't wait to see that.

[Video of Kevin Nortness playing banjo.]

Kim Kopp Interviewed on the Visual Arts Blog

Creative resident and visual artist Kim Kopp was interviewed recently by fellow artist Counsel Langley over on our Visual Arts site.The result is a fascinating look 'behind the scenes' of an artist's process. Read the whole thing.

Pathways and Echoes

March 14-April 12, visual artist Kim Kopp is presenting an exhibition at the Fetherston Gallery in Seattle entitled "Pathways and Echoes," with an artist reception Friday, March 14, from 5 to 7 pm.

Creative Resident Julie McHugh to Present Open Studio

Port Townsend visual artist Julie McHugh will present an open studio on Saturday, February 9, from 4-6 pm in the upstairs of Building 205. She will show photographs and photo intaglio prints. 

McHugh uses a “simple” film camera, and develops and prints her own work. After taking a photo itaglio workshop taught by Marsha Slomowitz and Jay Haskins of Corvidae Press, she discovered the most satisfying physical form for her work to take: water-based inks on high-quality natural-fiber paper.

“My main artistic interest has been taking black and white portraits, landscapes and still lifes with a special interest in capturing nature’s gifts,” McHugh says, “whether it be a tree, a child, or an artful scene created by someone.”

McHugh has shown her work in multiple solo and group shows, won the Merit Award from the Northwind Arts Alliance, and had her images published in many newspapers and  magazines.

"I strive to capture the essence of moments, individuals, landscapes, objects, and scenes which are beautiful or interesting to me," McHugh says. "I try not to disrupt what occurs naturally or to perfect it, simply to document, the only manipulation being subtracting the color and minimizing the depth of field.  Sometimes, I add color back with pencils. It is interesting to see how things appear in linear time, in print--what shows through and transfers, visible or not, and what is missed or what happy accidents occur. It provides an avenue through which to study myself and the magical, mysterious gift of life and our world."