caselberg trust residency
creativity in the time of coronavirus
In February of 2020 I embarked upon a five-week self-funded residency at the Caselberg Trust’s studio and cottage in Broad Bay, Dunedin. Shortly before it came to an end, Covid-19 was acknowledged as a pandemic and New Zealand went into strict lockdown. My flight back to Australia was cancelled and like so many others, I was stranded.
Since the Trust had to cancel their forward bookings, the cottage and studio were available, and thanks to the kindness of the Trustees we came to an arrangement whereby I could stay on. I became the ‘Covid-19 refugee-in-residence’. It’s hard to imagine a finer way for an artist to endure lockdown than being holed up without interruption in a dedicated workspace! My five-week stay stretched to almost five months.
This Shining World is the overall title for this body of work.
The photos shown were taken before the works were finished with hanging devices, hence the bulldog clips. They are now completed, and when I can access them again (they are currently in storage) I will have them properly photographed and updated here. The effects of very subtle light-reflective pigments are difficult to capture, especially when ambient light conditions aren’t optimal.
[Click on the thumbnails to view the full-size images in a carousel.]
Caroline Davies, in her wondrous ‘Down In Edin Magazine’, tells the story of my time and work at Broad Bay.
Rather than write more here, I invite you to have a read:
For more information about the Caselberg Trust and the excellent opportunities offered to artists, writers, composers and creative practitioners, please visit their website:
miriam louisa simons 