Source: https://artandsoulinternational.com/2017/07/09/eblar-video

view from our Artists’ Casitas!

HISTORIC OVERVIEW

The Rio Grande passes through some of America’s most dramatic landscapes as it winds its way down through New Mexico before crossing the Southern border. In 1908, what was then the largest dam in the U.S. and second largest in the world, was constructed at a place where human beings had been coming for millennia to soak in the healing hot springs that bubbled into this great river. The dam slowly created a lake which became the largest body of water in the state of New Mexico, named after a distinctive volcanic butte that became an island as the water rose.

Elephant Butte Lake is one of New Mexico’s most visited tourist attractions in the summertime, but is literally reduced to its tiny resident population for the winter months. It is during this time, in the months of January through March, that the Damsite welcomes artists to the Elephant Butte Lake Artist Retreat. Although it’s technically “winter”, the weather here consists of warm days and cool nights. Average temperature for the area during the Retreat is mid-60s fahrenheit with little to no precipitation. The mild weather, combined with a calm serenity during the “off-season”, create a perfect work environment for visiting artists.

The Damsite at Elephant Butte Lake has been the center of a number of historic events, beginning with its original construction. During this time, the camps that housed workers were sometimes occupied by as many as 3,000 men and women. There was even a short railway line that ferried materials to the damsite. Twenty years after its completion during the 1930s and 40s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was active in this area and some of the larger buildings were converted to hotels.

However, the most distinctive structures left by the CCC were a group of cabins–casitas–that were designed as holiday cottages. These unique structures are still a feature of the Damsite landscape and have recently been refurbished in preparation for the 2018 Elephant Butte Lake Artist Retreat.

THE RETREAT SITE

The retreat is sponsored by Lago Rico, a local corporation that owns and manages the lake’s Marinas, the Damsite Recreation Area, and the Elephant Butte Historic District. The 2018 Winter Artist Retreat is approximately a one month residency in this historic area:

EBLAR “1” runs from January 6-February 2 and a separate residency–EBLAR “2” runs from February 4-March 2.

To participate in one of these residency program, all artists, emerging and established alike, are invited to complete the application process. The link to this application form is in the General Info section below. There are no restrictions regarding the type of work produced during the residency, however the shared studio space is primarily set up for 2 dimensional artwork. The EBLAR (Elephant Butte Lake Artist Retreat) has been designed to allow participants to share a common experience with a small group of fellow artists, that encourages the exchange of ideas and work, while allowing the major focus to be private time for individual work and introspection.

Participants are housed in their own historic Casita–not shared/artist’s private cabin, unless coming with a partner–in an unsurpassed natural environment surrounded by history. The Casitas were constructed by the CCC in 1940. They are rock and stucco, pueblo revival style with a small patio. They have kitchenettes with a gas cooktop, microwave oven, coffee maker, and small refrigerator. All units contain at least one bed and some have 2 or 3. Dining table, chairs and other basic furnishings are provided. Private washrooms include toilet, sink and shower. There are no televisions, radios, or phones in the casitas. Each one is also equipped with basic cookware, dishes, towels, bedding etc.

Weekly cleaning with towel/linen exchange is included in the residency. Rental fee is for each 4 week Artist Retreat (Jan/Feb or Feb/Mar), utilities and WIFI included. Parking is available at each Casita. The Shared Studio is reached easily by foot, bike or car. Hiking trails are accessible throughout the Retreat area. Unfortunately, the casitas are not wheelchair accessible.

Food, personal items, art supplies etc, are not included in the cost. Unfortunately, EBLAR is not able to provide any financial assistance–participants must provide their own funding source.  Artists may bring their spouse/partner for a reduced fee.  There is no smoking in any of the facilities on the site of the Artist Retreat. Once applications are approved, we will assign each artist a casita. We will then send pictures of that specific unit.

SURROUNDING AREA

The Retreat is located on the shores of Elephant Butte Lake in rural Sierra County, New Mexico. The nearest community, Elephant Butte is a small town 8 miles away, with the basics; post office, gas stations, banks, restaurants, etc. Truth or Consequences (T or C as the locals call it) is the largest town in Sierra County and is 10 miles away. This town of 6,000 is the commercial and retail hub for the county. The majority of restaurants and retail establishments are locally owned but there are a couple of national chains, and there is a good selection of art supplies available in town. T or C has a unique history and geography that invites exploration. Bath houses with naturally flowing artesian mineral springs dot the downtown historic district.

ARTIST INFORMATION

EBLAR is located in a somewhat isolated part of New Mexico and there is very limited access by public transportation. Therefore it is required that all participating Artists provide their own vehicle.

Artists will have daily access to a large common studio space during the retreat. Sinks, tables, chairs, easels, washrooms, counter space, kitchenette are available in the shared indoor space. This building has large windows that open onto an extensive external patio/studio–with picnic tables, benches, workspace–and beyond that, to the vista of the butte, lake and surrounding desert landscape that stretches away to the north.

Participants will be asked to bring with them a completed work of their art, which must be “display ready” (Artists are responsible for having all art “mountable” prior to exhibiting). On the second Saturday of each month, the town of T or C holds an Art Walk, and all of the galleries are open.  The 2018 EBLAR participants will be featured in a group exhibit at the RioBravo Gallery which will serve as an introduction to this community.  EBLAR “1” art opening is Sat, Jan 13.  EBLAR “2” opening is Sat, Feb 10.

We will begin each week with a morning gathering in the shared studio. Lights snacks and an exchange of news, information, and perhaps a sharing of artistic intentions for the coming week will be the focus. The week will end in the same way on Friday, where the week’s work can be shared. Participation in these sessions is entirely voluntary and artists are under no obligation to “produce” or attend, however it is a wonderful time to share, and we encourage artists to spend some of their time with other members of the program.

RETREAT SCHEDULE

EBLAR “1”:  Participating artists will arrive on Saturday, January 6 and depart on Friday, February 2, 2018.

Sunday, Jan. 7, is given over to settling artists into their casitas and orienting them to their “new home”. The Director of Lago Rico, Neal Brown, will lead a tour of the Retreat site which will be followed by an afternoon boat tour of the lake. At 6:00pm that same evening, we will gather on the patio of the shared studio for a welcome Bar-B-Q. At the end of the Retreat time there will be a farewell Bar-B-Q held in the same place on Thursday, Feb 1 at 6:00pm.

EBLAR “2”:  Participating artists will arrive on Sunday, February 4 and depart on Friday, March 2, 2018.

Monday, Feb. 5, is given over to settling artists into their casitas and orienting them to their “new home”. The Director of Lago Rico, Neal Brown, will lead a tour of the Retreat site which will be followed by an afternoon boat tour of the lake. At 6:00pm that same evening, we will gather on the patio of the shared studio for a welcome Bar-B-Q. At the end of the Retreat time there will be a farewell Bar-B-Q held in the same place on Thursday, March 1 at 6:00pm.

The theme for the 2018 EBLAR is “A Conversation with the Landscape” and consistent with it, we have planned one excursion each week of the residency. It is our intention to introduce our visiting artists to as broad a spectrum of landscape as possible and will visit local communities, historical and heritage sites, etc. These day trips are unstructured and casual, our only goal is to share the pleasure of moving through these different landscapes together. There are many unique sites in the surrounding area and although we try to include a few in our program, we encourage Artists to explore the area on their own and we are more than happy to share our knowledge of interesting locations for your own artistic adventures during your stay.

GENERAL INFO

• EBLAR is a 4 week residency program; artists are expected to stay for the duration
• DATES:  EBLAR “1” Jan 06–Feb 2, 2018   or   EBLAR “2” Feb 04–Mar 2, 2018
• COST: $950 USD
  Covers rent, utilities, WIFI, shared studio space, exhibit, guided history tour, 4 excursions, 1 boat tour, welcome/farewell BBQs
• STUDIO SPACE: Is for Artists only (not partners), shared space, clean up is artists’ responsibility
• PARTNER/SPOUSE: There is an additional cost for one partner/spouse to accompany resident artists.  Reduced fee of 50% residency–$475–Casita only, no studio space
• NO SMOKING: There is no smoking in ANY of the facilities at the Artist Retreat
• MAIL/PACKAGES: It is possible to receive mail/packages at the residency address, pick up at Marina Del Sur (at lake boat launch) or in Studio
• TRANSPORTATION: All artists are responsible for their own transportation by car

APPLICATION PROCESS

Application forms are available at the following site:

• https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdo-otwKiwhq1tyzHEd-Qf8L9JQ4ApxtQmPru56jbohyocuIQ/viewform
• Forms must be completed online, there is a $20 application fee, non-refundable
• All applications must be received on or before November 6, 2018
• Successful applicants will be notified within 4 weeks of having received their application

CONTACT INFO

John and Souheir Rawlings will be your hosts and managers for the entire length of the Retreat. Prior to–and during–the residency, they may be contacted for any questions you may have. They have many years of experience working with artists of all levels, and are available to lend assistance, artistic guidance, support and encouragement as desired. However, they fully understand the Artist’s need for private, uninterrupted time, and are respectful in regards to individual preferences. Above all, John & Souheir wish to provide a peaceful yet productive artistic opportunity for all participants. Because of their backgrounds in Art Instruction as well as their years as producing Artists, they are happy to help out in anyway possible…but will certainly not interfere with artists’ own creative journeys.

They have studied and taught Art in colleges and arts organizations internationally, they run Artist Residencies, Art History Tours, Artist Retreats, and have studios in Northern Montana. The Rawlings’ have received several awards for their art and teaching, with John’s academic focus being on Italian Renaissance Art History and his artistic focus on sculpture and symbolism. Souheir has worked primarily in drawing and painting, with portrait/figure work as her subjects. In teaching, she has a special interest in multi-cultural arts and expressive arts therapy.

CONTACT INFO

Retreat Hosts/Managers

John & Souheir Rawlings

email:  rawlingsartandsoul@gmail.com

telephone:    John’s cell:  (406) 249-9061   Souheir’s cell:  (406) 250-8821

Mailing Address:

EBLAR  c/o Lago Rico, Inc.   P.O. Box 1070   Elephant Butte   NM    87935

Even though we have been returning to the magical city of Venice for more than 30 years, the planning process for our Artist Residencies still takes months of preparation, where we receive the initial applications and go through the selection process, which attempts to create a group of artists who will be both diverse and harmonious: make reservations in apartments which will accommodate individual and group requirements, coordinating arrival and departure procedures, and ensure that all of this information is disseminated to those involved.

This means that we have already established a correspondence with visiting Artists long before their arrival in Venice and are familiar with names long before we meet in person.  Art&Soul encourages its participants to communicate regularly prior to the residency in the hope of answering all questions before arrival.

Our resident Artists are housed in apartments that are in many different locations around the city of Venice, as we believe this affords the most rewarding “authentic” experiences where Artists become a participant in the neighborhood. Art&Soul is affiliated with an Artists Cooperative that is housed in the old Convent and Cloister of San Damiano e Cosimo on the Giudecca and our Artists share a common studio in the midst of other studios producing paper, masks, glass, bookmaking and painting.

We arrived 5 days before the Artists and after a somewhat groggy and jet lagged first day, settled to the task of preparing to receive them.  The next days were spent checking each apartment, stocking it with some “basics”, preparing the studio, confirming arrangements for workshops, acquiring transportation and museum passes and organizing water taxis and public transport that would get the Artists to their apartments.

None of these thing are–in themselves–particularly difficult, but it takes a day or two to realize that nothing can be achieved easily or quickly in La Serenissima, and there was plenty of frustration as we sat on slow vaporettos moving from one end of the city to the other, loaded down with shopping bags.

Saturday, April 1st arrived bright and clear and we rode the Alilaguna across to the airport where we waited for our first participants.  It was a long day of moving people and luggage from the airport, railway station, and bus terminal to their apartments and we sat down to dinner that night at 10:45 pm, tired but happy in the knowledge that we had settled everyone.

It is a major part of our commitment to the visiting Artists to NOT organize their every waking moment, however we do attempt to offer an almost daily “possibility”–At the start of each week we post a list of these possibilities making sure that it is understood that everyone chooses what they want to do.  The first few adventures encouraged and explained the use of the Abbonamento passes that we supply, and Artists quickly learn how to use the vaporetto system much the way that many city dwellers use the subway.  Our Artists also learn “the ways” of Venice…best cafes, quietest areas, streets not clogged with tourists, what to eat…what to drink.  And so for a couple of hours each day all or some of us visited churches, museums, favorite places, special artisans, or just walked on the beach…all the while cementing friendships that will clearly endure.

The Venetian afternoon drink called “Spritz” quickly became a favorite.  But something else happened in these first few days and this remarkable group of individuals very quickly took on a “family” persona, that Art&Soul, of course, hopes for.  This was truly a warm and sharing group of extremely talented individuals, each contributing skills and experiences that enhanced the residency program for all of us. They came from many different parts of the world, and in the month of April wove a fabric of friendship that brought together different perspectives, ages, gender, cultural and artistic expression in a truly supportive and caring way. We would like to thank the following Artists who made “Art&Soul in Venice 2017” such a wonderful experience:

Linda Katsuda (United States)

Hans Silvius (The Netherlands)

Nichole Riley (U.S.)

Uma Viswanathan (Canada)

Mary Claire Moloney (U.S.)

Karen Hopkins (Australia)

Daniel Yuhas (U.S.)

Jill Rocksund (U.S.)

Keith Morant (New Zealand)

Trish Morant (New Zealand)

Karen Heberling (U.S.)

Lori DiMuro (U.S.)

Stephanie Champion (Australia)

Thomas McPherson (Costa Rica/U.S.)

Joanna Horton McPherson (Costa Rica/U.S.)

Eric Holowacz (U.S.)

Each day, these Artists could be found in many different parts of the city drawing, writing, painting, taking photographs, or simply sitting…absorbing the wonder of their surroundings, and there was a continuous sharing of these experiences and images.

Our first group effort was to mount a show of our work at the famous cafe & gallery of IMAGINA, found in the university district of Campo Santa Margherita.  Because 2017 is a Biennale year, exhibition space was very scarce in Venice, and we were lucky to secure this venue.  One of the great challenges for traveling Artists is to confront the difference in medium and materials found in other parts of the world–and there was something of a “whirlwind” of activity where locations and addresses of art supply stores, discoveries of new materials, and best prices on frames were exchanged.

The works were hung late on a Tuesday evening and on Wednesday at 7:00pm we received a large and enthusiastic crowd at the official opening.  It was truly an international and eclectic grouping of work, and the exhibition “Art&Soul in Venice 2017” was a very successful contribution to the art of Venice as it geared up for this year’s Biennale.

There were a number of featured events during the month, and it is probably simplest to list them.

Our Artists attended a bookmaking workshop with renowned bookmaker Marina DeGrandis where they each completed a classic Venetian folio-style sketchbook, cutting the leather and stitching Fabriano paper into the binding.

They attended a cooking class at the Istituto Venezia with the energetic Anna Santini and her sous chef where they cooked and consumed some amazing Venetian recipes.  Anna buys prosecco directly from a wine grower on the Veneto, and we were treated to many a fine bottle to supplement our meal!

We spent a day in Padua discovering this nearby city and another day trip in Vicenza where we focused on the architecture of Andrea Palladio.  First, in the city museum given over entirely to his works, and then to the spectacular Teatro Olimpico where we sat in awe of his accomplishments.

Weekly festas were held at the Rawlings’ apartment in Ormesini, located in Cannaregio, and a very memorable evening was spent first walking through the Ghetto and then returning to our apartment to watch the Al Pacino film version of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”, which we projected onto the wall.

On another evening, “our” photographer, Hans Silvius, blacked out the windows of the front room of our apartment, and turned it into a gigantic pinhole camera as we sat in the dark, watching the view of the canal slowly project itself across the entire room.  We were all enthralled!

Many years ago, we discovered a glass-making workshop which is completely off the tourist route and does not routinely accept visitors.  Over the years we have developed a working relationship and a visit to see them is always a highlight for us.  We spent an hour in this active glass studio watching master craftsmen at work producing a huge chandelier.  We observed as they produced the many small components of these elaborate lights and they stopped to produce some simple vessels and figurines which they then sold to us at extremely low prices!

As the month progressed, it gave us enormous pleasure to see individuals become more relaxed, independent and “at home” in Venice, and stories of “discoveries” and new favorite places were being shared daily.

Together, we stood in front of some of the world’s great paintings–shared Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, and a host of others…felt the presence of Palladio by walking into his buildings, and of course marveled at the scenery that surrounded us constantly.  We were participants in both the Palm Sunday procession from Formosa to Saint Mark’s, and the Traghetto Regata that finished at the Pescaria.  For a month we truly were “locals”.

It was a wonderful time and we would like to thank all who participated or helped in any way.  To the Artists:  Our heartfelt thanks for being such wonderful companions…such profound ambassadors!  We will remember our time together forever…we hope that you will too.

Abbracci,

John & Souheir

We will now “turn it over” to the beautiful words and images shared by a few of our artists…telling of their own stories and experiences in La Serenissima:

“John & Souheir curated a most detailed, interesting and well-coordinated experience of Venice. As first-timers in Italy, my husband and I found meaning & inspiration through the way the residency unfolded.  Our favorite aspect of the experience was the Rawlings sharing their passion for Venice, which was contagious and inspirational. John brought us to special places and shared both personal and history tales. In this way, they brought us into the heart of Venice’s history and the depth of its art.  We appreciated also how we as a group got to know each other in formal and informal ways, which deepened our experience. We recommend this program for anyone looking to experience community and art in Venice. We want to participate again and will certainly return to Venice one day: this residency landed during our month-long honeymoon and thanks to John & Souheir we’ve been bitten by the bug. Now we don’t want to travel any other way but through programs like theirs!”                 –Joanna and Thomas McPherson

“Thank you for the most amazing Artist Residency I have participated in.  The excursions, activities, and travel pass you provided were optional but we soon discovered the true value of them and used them to the fullest…..even in revisiting places seen on previous trips.                        –Linda Katsuda

“As a professional artist, it was a great joy to be accepted for an ‘Artist’s Residency’ in Venice for the month of April 2017. This was titled ‘Art and Soul’ and organised by John and Souheir Rawlings of Montana. While I have been to Italy many times and exhibited in Venice before, I have never been on an actual ‘residency’. My wife, Tricia, and I were very happy as the professionalism of the organizers seemed genuine enough but we were somewhat uncertain as to how things would go.  However, we had no need for any concern as, on arrival in Venice, we were met by our genial host, John Rawlings and guided expertly to our apartment (ready stocked with food essentials) in the Castello district of the city. There were twelve artists selected from different parts of the globe and we were all introduced to each other and taken to the studio spaces in Giudecca. There is much I could relate about the interaction between us all but, suffice it to say, we all got along extremely well with each other and had a great creative, and often hilarious rapport.

Apart from the times that we were left to our own devices (painting and creating towards a pre-arranged exhibition) John and Souheir would arrange meeting points around the city from where we would walk to places of interest, particularly great Churches, Basilicas and craftsmen’s workshops. It soon became very clear that we were in the hands of a true expert on the history and art of this great city.

We were taken to many incredible places both in and out of Venice; San Giorgio Maggiore, (to the top of the Campanile), the islands of Torcello, Burano and Murano as well as the amazing fish and fruit markets of the Rialto. We walked with the Palm Sunday procession from Campo Santa Maria Formosa to the Basilica of San Marco and visited the beautiful church of Miracoli. Another great day was spent in the museum of the Basilica of San Marco followed by the Easter Sunday service in this great historical venue. There were bookbinding classes and, for the real enthusiast, Italian cookery classes. In the heart of Venice we had a wonderful insight into the craft of forcola making and when we visited Murano we were privileged to see a real glass workshop in action. We were treated to a day in Padua to view Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel and a trip to Vicenza to visit the magnificent Palladio museum. For me, two special excursions were a visit to The Peggy Guggenheim museum and the boat trip across to the island of San Michele. This is the great cemetery of Venice where we viewed the graves of many luminaries who included Joseph Brodsky, Ezra Pound and Igor Stravinsky. All of these activities, plus much more, were expertly managed by John and Souheir.

In the days between such adventures we were busy preparing our artwork for the exhibition to be held at the Imagina Café in Campo Santa Margherita. The show opened on April 19 th and was another happy and hilarious evening for all.

We were all genuinely impressed by this wonderful couple who had put such a project into operation. The sheer professionalism of Souheir coupled with the enthusiastic erudition of John made for an unforgettable month of laughter and learning.

“Venice is eternity itself.” Joseph Brodsky

Thank you so much John and Souheir for this rich slice of eternity!”

—Keith and Tricia Morant

“Venezia with Art and Soul:  For a month I was away from my family, my home, my job, and most of my responsibilities. It was detoxifying and soul discovering. Venezia, along with the help of John and Souheir, allowed me to enter a very hidden space. One that at times I tried to manage, control and conform to what I thought I needed. I learned very quickly to succumb to the agenda of this place. When I allowed the intent of Venice to guide me I discovered what was beneath the surface, amazing layers of history, architecture, art, and culture. I was given the opportunity, if only for what is a brief moment, to become one with this place and to become one with myself. I learned a plethora about Venice through the guidance of Art and Soul, and as a happy coincidence, I learned just as much about myself.  Thank you for the amazing opportunity to see me and Venezia”.                                                                                                                          –Nichole Riley

Please click on link to view our Venice Photo Album:

https://goo.gl/photos/aFFXjYBFQqYkR3Wt5

Source: EBLAR 2017 “Conversations with the Landscape”