Sat. July 15th, 2023, 1-2 p.m.
McBride Studio, 640 KS-177, Matfield Green, KS 66862
To be an artist in the Midwest is to practice in relationship with the prairie. We drive long miles on two-lane highways; we shelter during tornadoes. Most days find us contemplating the wide sky above or encountering an unexpected possum in the backyard. The land and its creatures envelop our days. How do we continue to open our practice and allow the land to speak within our work? By incorporating concepts of rewilding and seasonal, ceremonial practices into our art, we can expand our work into a larger ecosphere that gives space and voice to the more-than-human world. This workshop conversation will include readings from creators and thinkers, examples of ceremony and creative practice, and open sharing and dialogue with each other. Feel free to bring examples of your work to share with the group, or simply come as you are.
About the Presenter:
Leslie VonHolten writes about the connections between land and culture. She focuses her work on prairie and grassland spaces, and her art columns and essays have been published or are forthcoming in The New Territory, Literary Landscapes, About Place Journal, Dark Mountain Project, and Lawrence.com, among other sites. Leslie has served as a board member for the Garden of Eden art environment in Lucas, Kansas; was a founding member of the Percolator Artspace in Lawrence, Kansas; and has been a book commentator for High Plains Public Radio in Garden City, Kansas, since 2015. She was honored with a Tallgrass Artist Residency in 2022.