Artist Residencies in Lanesboro: Inspiration and Integration

Nestled in the valley of southeast Minnesota’s Root River, Lanesboro is a small town with a unique atmosphere that is part European hamlet, part tourist destination and part farm town with a dash of just plain funky. Artists from around the country continue to discover that Lanesboro is a special place in which to create art and to live, if even for a few weeks.

Cornucopia Art Center’s two core values that relate directly to the Residency Program are inspiration and integration. To truly serve as an inspiration to the region, Cornucopia’s Residencies encourage emerging artists to create new work and to integrate this work into the larger community of Lanesboro. The community component of each residency seeks to make art blend into the structure of community as a part of everyday life - engaging everyday people in an ongoing artistic dialog.

The Cornucopia Art Center / Jerome Foundation Residency Program offers two-week and four-week residencies to emerging artists each year. The program is designed to provide opportunities for emerging artists to create new work.

“The residency was invaluable. I think the most important thing about it was realizing what a positive impact I can have on people around me through art.”
--- Aaron Bommarito, 2004 Resident Artist

Artists from all disciplines are encouraged to apply, though primary consideration will be given to emerging sculptors, painters, poets, and writers with at least one residency each year focused on public art. Applicant artists must reside in the United States. Living and working space is provided. Stipends of up to $2,500 for a four-week residency are provided for up to six artists each year.

“This program has given me a clear and refreshing look at my career and artwork…I have generated ideas for new work that simply would not have taken place [otherwise]…It has been a life-changing experience.”
--- Whitney Tuthill, 2003-2004 Resident Artist

The Emerging Artist

Emerging artists have professional art career goals and may even be in the middle stage of their careers, but have not received recognition equal to the quality of their work. Applicant artists should be able to define a “next step” in their career or artistic development and should be able to articulate how a residency will help them take that step.

“During the residency I learned more about working with the public on a community art project…The ability to paint every day and to focus completely on my work has energized me in a new and transformative way. The residency experience was a very powerful validation of my artistic vision and my lifetime commitment to creative work. Words can’t really express just how meaningful this is on a deep, personal level.”
--- Camille J. Gage, 2004 Resident Artist

“I wrote everyday, for at least five hours. Sometimes, for ten hours. The public reading really helped – it gave me a deadline to work toward, helped me feel like I wasn’t writing in a vacuum.”
--- Quiara Hudes, 2004 Resident Artist

The Engaging Artist: Welcome to Our Community

Designated one of “The 100 Best Small Art Towns” in the United States by author John Villani in 1996 and 1997 Lanesboro is home to a thriving artistic community. It is not just the presence of a growing number of working artists that makes the community artistic. It is a long-time love of the simple delights in life, from good food to a good tune, that make Lanesboro an engaging community in which to make art. The small population (approx. 800) includes natives and long-time residents who remember Lanesboro’s days as a simple farm town still defined by the strong influences of the Irish and Scandinavian settlers. Over the last 20 years, new residents have chosen Lanesboro for its welcoming community, its outstanding outdoor life and the presence of both professional and community art opportunities, including Cornucopia Art Center, Commonweal Theatre Company, the Lanesboro Arts Council and the new Lanesboro Community Theatre.

Just two hours south of the Twin Cities, Lanesboro is at the heart of the wider arts campus of southeast Minnesota. From Mississippi river towns like Red Wing, Wabasha and Winona to the heartland towns of Austin, Faribault and Rochester, the area is home to art centers, galleries, theatres and hundreds of artist studios. Your residency project may take you beyond Lanesboro’s borders to interact with artists and audiences throughout the area.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of Cornucopia Art Center staff, working artists and community representatives. Successful applications will address the following criteria:

1. Quality of the work samples submitted
2. Value of the proposed project to the artist’s career and to the community
3. Creativity and innovation of integrating art into the community. Applicants should consider specific target audiences for the project (i.e. senior citizens, school children, etc.).
4. Ability to accomplish the project outlined in the time requested.

Application postmark deadlines: June 15 annually (residencies can be scheduled November - May).

Accessibility is one of Cornucopia’s core values. We welcome all artists to apply to the Lanesboro Residency program and choose artists for artistic merit and potential community impact, regardless of physical ability, race, religion, gender, cultural or ethnic background, or sexual orientation.

Anat Fort – July 2005

Anat Fort, born in Israel, is a jazz composer and pianist living in Brooklyn, NY. Commissioned to write "Tzohar" for string orchestra and improvising piano, and "Ktanot" for chamber group, Anat has had her music premiered at the Tel-Aviv Biennial for Contemporary Music. As part of her residency in Lanesboro, Fort performed two short concerts in Lanesboro and Winona.

Tiffany Besonen – July 2005

As a mixed media sculptor and storyteller, Tiffany Besonen recycles historical and found materials into stories about identity, motherhood and family. Her metaphoric forms represent the layers of expectations, history and reality in building family and identity today. During her residency, Tiffany created new mixed media work, including a collaborative sculpture created with Lanesboro community members.

Rachael Hanel – June 2005

Rachael Hanel grew up in southern Minnesota as the daughter of a “Digger O’Dell, a small-town gravedigger. A writer and journalist, Rachael spent two weeks revising her first novel – a memoir of her father and her childhood. During her stay, her book proposal was accepted by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Rachael’s outreach activites included a free writing workshop at the Chatfield Library.

Paul Mihas – June 2005

Paul Mihas is originally from Minnesota. A writer now living in Carrboro, North Carolina, he the son of Greek immigrants and a cancer survivor. Paul spent two weeks working on new short stories and revising his novel, The Groom’s Dowry, which tells the story of two Greek-American children growing up in small town Wyoming . As part of his outreach, Paul led writing exercises with cancer survivors at the Mayo Clinic and in Lanesboro.

Dominic Orlando - September 2004

A playwright originally from New York city and most recently from Minneapolis, MN, Dominic Orlando drafted his play, “Heart of Earth,” while in Lanesboro for 4 weeks.  A longtime Chekhov fan, this play is inspired by “The Three Sisters.”  Characters in the play explore three questions--which are the same questions for Americans, for Russians, for everyone, really--Where will I live?  How will I live?  Who will love me? During his stay, Dominic visited area farms with the goal of getting farm life in his blood and thus into the characters of “Heart of Earth.”

Elaine Romero - August 2004
A playwright from Tucson, AZ, Elaine Romero drafted and held a reading of her new full-length play, LIKE HEAVEN.  With four female characters, the play develops the friendship of two women as they cross paths while one is arriving to and one is departing from a small town.  While in Lanesboro, Elaine also led a "Quick New Play" workshop, involving community members in writing and performing 5-minute plays.

Quiara Alegria Hudes - July 2004
A playwright from Providence, RI, Quiara Alegria Hudes has expanded her play "Coconut Therapy" from a 45-minute piece to a full-length piece, with the goal of touring it nationally upon completion. The play explores immigration and assimilation in Puerto Rico and Philadelphia, and how it affects the characters' lives. Ranging in age from 12 to 93, the characters are based on interviews with the women in Quiara's family.

Camille Gage - June 2004
Lanesboro residents and visitors were engaged in an interactive reflection on citizenship and the American community through Camille Gage's residency project, entitled "American Visions." Camille is a mixed-media artist from Minneapolis, MN.

Aaron Bommarito - May 2004
Aaron photographically recorded pinhole projections by creating camera obscurae inside historic Fillmore County buildings and structures. Aaron also worked with 5th and 6th grade students at the Lanesboro School, demonstrating the pinhole technique and helping them to create pinhole cameras. Aaron is a pinhole photographer from Eagan, MN.

Whitney Tuthill - January 2004
A ceramic artist from Minneapolis, MN, Whitney worked with high school art students at the Lanesboro School to create a ceramic relief map, showing the Lanesboro area landscape. As a result of his residency, CAC's kiln has been installed at the school for use by students and for CAC classes. Whitney also produced new round ceramic relief sculptures during his residency.

Mary Eischen - September 2002 Mary created a banner for public display in Lanesboro, involving members of the community and celebrating Lanesboro's commitment to community and to the
arts. Mary is a fiber artist from Winona, MN.

Mary Bergs - August 2002 - a 2D/3D visual artist from Minneapolis, MN, Mary created an impermanent visual dialogue regarding perceptions of beauty amongst the residents of Lanesboro (installation of objects).

Coral Lambert - July 2002 - Coral, a cast iron sculptor from New Orleans, LA, conducted a public cast iron event and outdoor sculpture exhibition, including work made through public sculpture workshops.

Maremi Hooff - June 2002 - A painter from Arlington, VA, Maremi created a painting that recognized a regional dish or recipe through the aid of community participation.

Keith Holmes - May 2002 - Keith worked on making a series of photographic portraits of Lanesboro
community members. He plans to work these images into a public art piece using bricks or other suitable building material. Keith is a photo-sculpture artist from Alexandria, MN.

Laine Cunningham - November 2001
A writer from Asheboro, NC, Laine completed a draft of her novel "The Message Stick," the story of a bi-racial Australian Aborigine. She also taught children and adults in a writing / "dot-dot dream painting" workshop, and presented a new chapter of her novel at a community reading.

Erik Pearson - October 2001
An oil painter from Superior, WI, Erik painted the first five paintings in a series based on a song he composed. He also taught adult drawing classes and visited school classrooms, educating students about his work.