Sonja Hinrichsen

sonja@s-hinrichsen.net

It was really a great community among artists and staff members. I had not been to a small residency like this before and found it very great that the artists got to meet each other more closely, (which at larger residencies sometimes doesn’t seem to work so well) [to] discuss work, etc. Also, I liked that the approach is more social … that the artists are not totally isolated in their studios.

I also liked the location: in a very quiet place, but at the same time having the town very close. I found that Nebraska City appears to be rather supportive of KHN and its residents arts. The library checked out books without a problem and people in stores seem to be very friendly and open towards the residents. My KHN residency was truly an amazing experience and I do hope very much to come back sometime soon. (Sonja in middle at left, with Anastasia Ward on the left and Stephanie Elizondo Griest on the right.)

Residency Achievements at KHN Center for the Arts

During my artist residency at KHN Center for the Arts I dedicated my attention particularly to 2 different projects:

1 I finished a long-term multi-channel video project addressing the role of America’s first transcontinental railroad line, which connected California to the eastern United States. The piece consists of 2 sets of 2 synchronized video sequences, each of them 32 minutes long. They are based on 2 different trips I took on Amtrak trains. Towards the end it became obvious that I would like to extend the project by 4 additional channels (two sets) that address freight transport, the railroad’s first and foremost nerve center today.

2 I started a new project focusing on the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-06 and the immense impact this expedition had on the vast lands west of the Missouri River. I was especially intrigued by the idea of traveling into a completely unknown country, without a clear concept of its extension, its landscape, its flora, fauna and its native population. I am very fascinated with the idea of traveling into the unknown, open to any obstacles and unexpected surprises that might be encountered along the way. I studied the history of the expedition, the original journals written by Lewis and Clark and their companions, while at the same time I explored the immediate environment at the Missouri River, where the Corps of Discovery had passed through. I observed landscape, climate and weather, and was especially impressed with the violent thunderstorms I witnessed during my stay in Nebraska City. I had not experienced these kinds of storms before. With the materials I collected through my readings and through taking video footage I experimented with an installation concept in my studio. Although the piece cannot be seen as a finished project yet, it was a very important for me to be able to set it up in the studio, see it large-scale and invite the local public. It was important to me to get feedback from local people on a subject and environment that is most familiar to them. Although I became aware that certain changes need to be made, I will now be able to finalize the piece. I found the discussion with the local community, my fellow resident artists and the KHN staff very helpful.

Joan Waltemath, vsual artist, 8-week resident Sept. – Nov. 2007

I came to the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center in the late summer 2007 and watched the transition into fall in the SE corner brick courtyard that opened off my studio. For the first time in many years I listened to the ambient sounds of birds and squirrels, children laughing and talking on their way home from school and the occasional phrase played out on the piano in the music room next door to where I worked. This grounded me in a sense of place and allowed for the  architectural spaces within the Center’s compound to become a source of inspiration for my work.

The weather stayed warm enough in the fall for me to work outside well into November. Most every day there are clear skies in Nebraska City, which gave me a natural light to work with that was crucial in developing the subtle shifts from white to white characteristic of the drawings I made there. A few road trips each week through the expanse of the Nebraska landscape provided a perfect counterpoint to the intimacy of the courtyard’s enclosed space. I worked to synthesis these two extremes.

For a New Yorker it was amazing to be in a small mid-western town. The sense of history is palpable in Nebraska City, which has taken the care to bring many of the original structures of the 19^th century river town into the present day. The people are very hospitable in welcoming you to their town.

The administrative staff of the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts has worked to hone a good balance between supportive engagement with the residents and an understanding of the need for solitude in order to make work. The facilities are well maintained, clean, and provide a comfortable environment for the residents.

I treasure time I was given to share with my fellow residents.