Quest Lakes, organizer for the program, explained that the goals for the residency include "innovative exhibitions and interactive and participatory works, and/or events that explore or transcend art disciplines. Another goal of the program is to introduce new voices to the community, along with programs that engage people in becoming lifelong arts and culture participants or creators."
The artists' housing, with panoramic views of the Sierras and an in-home library, was designed by Nevada artist Jim McCormick in the 1970's and inspired by the geodesic dome and "tensegrity" concept of 20th century visionary R. Buckminster Fuller.
In addition to housing, the program offers each artist their own studio, publicity, photographic documentation of their work, and an offer to be connected to gallery and/or performance spaces in the region.
The program also includes opportunities for artists to conduct at least one workshop in their primary discipline during the time of their residency.
Summer Resident Artist Brings Cross-Disciplinary Skills: The summer Resident is Brian Schorn, a multi-talented artist, writer, musician, graphic designer and photographer. Schorn's music has been performed in France, Austria, New York, and Oakland, and his visual art has been exhibited and published widely for the last twenty years in numerous solo exhibitions. His creative writing has been published in many books, journals and anthologies, and he was awarded the Academy of American Poets Prize. Hand-made poetry books by Schorn can be found in the Marvin Sackner Collection of Concrete and Visual Poetry. He has taught art, graphic design and creative writing, including at the University of Michigan, Brown University and Interlochen Arts Academy.
Schorn's participation in the Resident Artist Program in Silver City includes poetry readings/writing workshops, sound ecology/listening /visual mapping workshops, and an "Introduction to Surrealist Art Techniques" at the Silver City Volunteer Library. In addition, in August he will be offering free art workshops at a leadership camp at Lake Tahoe for teen leaders from the Lyon/Storey/Carson regions. The opening reception for his exhibition showing the artwork he's created while at the Resident Artist Program will take place at St. Mary's Art Center on Saturday, August 29th. He will also be lending his considerable experience to preparing and designing a July 18th fine arts exhibit sponsored by the Silver City Arts group. Schorn has hung the work of many well known artists in various capacities as a gallery and/or museum preparator, including work by artists such as Yoko Ono, Jean Dubuffet, Julian Schnabel, Duane Hansen, Jules Olitski, Martin Puyear, and Frank Stella. Schorn has also juried and curated university art exhibitions and art publications.
Schorn arrived on July 1st, and commented, "This amazingly eclectic and unique home is a haven for artists. I'm so happy to call it home for the summer. Thank you for a wonderfully warm welcome. My studio is just about unpacked and set up with a long list of projects and ideas to explore during my residency. I am very grateful for this opportunity to live, work and be a part of the community in Silver City."
Schorn is being welcomed in the community with several local dinners and cocktail parties when he arrives in July.
About Silver City: Recently designated an "Arts and Culture Production Center," the town is already home to a surprising number of Nevada's highly productive artists, musicians, photographers, writers, actors, artisans, academics and other innovative thinkers and unique souls.
The small town has an incredible range of architecture and design, both historic and modern. Beginning in the 1960's, a new wave of residents began restoring or rebuilding most of the historic homes in their community, while others have added a number of architecturally unique, visually-striking homes.
Silver City attracts unique destination tourism to the region as the site of the renowned Silver City Fireman's Ball, and the world famous, annual Ferrari Races. It's irreplaceable historic buildings and sites and its crystal clear views of the Sierras bring visiting plein air painters and photographers from around the West.
With an unusually strong volunteerism ethos, the town boasts a voluteer-run library, an organic community garden, frequent public events at the community center, a busy arts group, an historic preservation group, a volunteer fire department, and an enviable arts and science summer program that is free to youngsters in the entire Comstock region.
Contact: The schedule for the Resident Artist Program in Silver City is booked through Spring of 2016, and additional applications are being accepted for summer 2016. Please contact Quest Lakes at P.O. Box 123, Silver City, Nevada 89428 or quest@theodata.com. The program is privately funded by Theo McCormick and Quest Lakes.
More about the Resident Artist Program can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/silvercitynevadaresidentartistprogram
