MNPAiR Artist Residency
MNPAiR Artist ResidencyI feel so honored and thrilled to have been awarded a yearlong MNPAiR Artist in Residence position at Wild River State Park for 2024-25. As part of this groundbreaking pilot collaboration between Minnesota Parks, the Met Council, and Forecast Public Art, I’ll be embedding myself in the park to learn about its history and ecology, as well as the challenges and aspirations for staff and stewards. (here’s an MPR story about MNPAiR)
As a composer, designer, and director, I create outdoor, site-specific sound + performance installations that I call “Sound Gardens”, and Wild River offers a multitude of amazing outdoor spaces in which I’ve already found much creative inspiration. (scroll down for videos from past Sound Gardens) My recent interview with the St Croix Valley Magazine.
Over the coming year, I am collaboratively developing a series of engagements and experiences for park visitors that spark a sense of curiosity, discovery, and belonging, working closely with the Park Naturalist, Sean Hoppes and the rest of the Wild River staff. It is such a thrill to spend extended time in these quiet, vast, and varied landscapes, and join the conversations, dances, and concerts that happen here everyday. During my 2-week onsite residency in February, I started composing and recording new music for this special place, and wrote my first blog post for the residency! Stay tuned here for updates and ways to join us! I will list events on my upcoming events page, and you can also sign up for email updates here.
Residency Highlights
We had a magical time at the Winter Candlelight Celebration at Wild River on Sat Feb 8, where I presented my Winter Sound Garden near the Visitor Center. Click here to see photos and read more about it! On April 5, we held the first ever “Maple Syrup Day” at Wild River, featuring the Sugarbush Sound Garden as part of an actual Sugarbush! Then, at the end of April, we celebrated Earth Day with the annual Earth Fest event and my Earth Day Sound Garden, “While It Lasts”.
UP NEXT: SAVE THE DATE: Sat June 14: FREE PARK DAY!
I’ll be leading a free onsite ART + NATURE workshop, “Spatial Sounds in Nature” from 10am-12pm at the Wild River State Park Visitor Center.
Videos from previous Sound Gardens
Residency Events at Wild River State Park
My Sugarbush Sound Garden has been presented many times, including in far-away places like the UK, Canada, and California, but rarely has it been part of an actual SUGARBUSH! It was a real thrill to share this Sound Garden as part of the Sugarbush and Maple Syrup Day activities at Wild River State Park this year where visitors got to learn how to identify a Sugar Maple tree, how to tap it for sap, cook it down, and got to taste the final result! And huge thanks to Tony Drews, who led Ojibwe language and culture activities with Nashké Games!
