Background
By a confluents of events, I find I will be without a job, without a husband, without debt or ownership of any kind in 2007. To me, and Janis Joplin, that spells freedom.
Being an artist creating outdoor site-specific sculptures of natural materials, I find that Brooklyn/New York City is not conducive to my work. I have had success at various artist residency so I decided to hit the road. At first I just started to ask people I knew about places feeling that I didn't really have to have an actual artist-residency program but just a place to hang my hat and a plot of land to muck around in. I had some interest but nothing really progressed but I did right off the bat stumble upon a residency in ChangMai Thailand at Ne'- na : Alternative Art Program http://www.kulturserver.de/home/sp/ne-na.htm. They seemed interested in having me come. I was open to any where except I didn't want to stay in the US feeling that there would always be plenty of opportunities here since I wouldn't need such great lengths of time. I continued to ask around, met with some people, sent more emails, sent out a few packets and still nothing. So I started to panic in early spring. I decided I needed to focus my geography so I decided my heart was really in Asia so I blindly sent emails to art faculty in universities in Asia, although I do not remember which ones. One day out of the blue I got an email saying that "Eric" forwarded my email. Which email? Who was Eric? I still am not sure but now I am going to Hanoi Vietnam. http://www.campushanoi.com/. If the people on the website are indicative of the other artists, will I be called mother? or just big sister?
Over the New Year, I had gone on a meditation retreat at IMS in Barre Massachusetts http://www.dharma.org/ims/index.htm. A writer was in our carpool, and she later hooked me up with a residency in India, Kerula - the backwaters http://www.kashiartgallery.com/html/art_retreat.htm. Sounds intriguing like maybe I need a double dose of malaria pills. I wrote and they said great.
So now it is June 1st and I have my schedule set up, for the most part. January through March I will be in ChangMai, Thailand. April Through June, Hanoi, Vietnam will be home. October through December, India will be my studio. I am actually most excited about this last stop since the other two places are in cities while India will be a more natural setting. I hope. You see when you do these things long distance, all you have is hope, and a prayer. My summer months of July, August and September are open. It is deadly hot in SouthEast Asia in the summer so I hesitate to book anything. I have a few options: there is a residency in Bali, Indonesia I could apply to for September. My friend Soo is retiring back to Malaysia, so I could invite myself there or we could go traveling. My old roommate, Agnes, her mother is in Hong Kong so I could go visit her, she did after all stay with us in Chicago for 2 months one summer many years ago.
Agnes and I are also talking about hosting a plein aire art group to Hong Kong with the hope that in 2008 we can do more of them. We discussed it extensively for a few weeks but now it is safely on the back burner.
Currently, I am looking into international banks, and vaccinations. I am also beginning to part with my STUFF. My intent is to sublet my furnished apartment for the year.
I'll keep you "posted"