HOW IT STARTED

​

After losing a loved one and battling the pandemic, I found myself at Oxley a lot. It was a place where I felt inspired and guided by the nature around me. I would often walk Bob's Trail and find myself walking past the building early in the morning before it opened. I would look through the big windows and become inspired by the idea of having an artist residency there.

 

After conversing with Lisa Cobb, a staff naturalist at Oxley Nature Center, she brought the idea to Maggie Regan, the center's director. We held a meeting in March 2023 to discuss the possibilities of this new program. 

 

To my surprise, they supported this idea, and I started my first day at the end of March. We found a perfect place for the studio space: a glass-windowed area right by the communal fireplace. Here, I felt inspired by the bird feeders in front of the window and the beautiful overview of the pond, prairie, and forest. 

 

Oxley allowed me access to its natural species collection and the full use of its facilities. I met wonderful people like Josh Smith, Mary Seaborn, Judy LaFrance, Stacie Martin, and the local hikers who came through. Each person I encountered taught me something about nature, and I am forever grateful to have them in my life.

 

We were able to host one class a month during the artist residency. This included classes for multiple age groups, such as Scientific Illustration, Paper Making, Insect Drawing, and Nature Drawing classes. Separate from this, I worked with Liz Dueck and the Tusa Boys home to bring the kids into nature and create art together.

​

At the end of the program, Oxley hosted a public Residency Showcase. During this event, I gifted a work of art to the residency, which now hangs above the communal fireplace. This gift was a mark of my appreciation for Oxley and the people who made this all happen.

​

Today, Oxley has continued this residency program, with its next person being the amazing artist and poet Sasha Martin. I am grateful to Oxley and Sasha for continuing to progress this program and including the community in our art-making process. We are excited to continue this program for future artists to come.

 

Special thanks to OVAC for funding this program while I was there.