Day to day journal of installation, embroidery, and fiber arts created by Susan Lenz
Yesterday was so much fun sharing my method of making ornaments. I provided all the material and supplies: yarn, embroidery floss, ribbon, buttons, beads, and ... of course ... wooden thread spools. Almost everything available came from second hand stores, auctions, thrift shops, and as donations to my stash. This mini-workshop is really about giving second life to what had been cast off by someone else.
It's hard to believe that I started this one-month art residency last week. Time is just flying by! I'm here in Hamilton, Montana at Explore the Arts, a super cool art center on Main Street. This opportunity came about through a selection process by Open Air Montana, a non-profit partnering with all sorts of other groups to bring writers, poets, visual artists, and even researchers to Montana.
Barbara Liss owns the building and runs the non-profit from her studio inside. Her medium is concrete sculpting.
I was given this area for my temporary studio space. It's right off a larger gallery area. I've got 24/7 access, good lighting, and a strong Internet connection! I've met plenty of new people and even attended the local Writer's Circle meeting and a weekly "Open Studio" session that invites anyone to bring their own projects for conversation and time to work while talking to others.
For months Steve and I were looking forward to the drive to Hamilton, Montana for my one-month art residency through Open Air MT at Explore the Arts in Hamilton. The trip would take us to several unique places, and it would be the first time either of us stepped foot in South Dakota. God Himself seemed to smile on the trip as the weather was picture perfect for the entire week! Our first sightseeing stop was the Minuteman Missile National Park. It was an eye-opening experience. I don't remember much about the early days of the Cold War but Steve remembers the Cuban Missile crisis. He once fell asleep under his desk during a emergency preparedness exercise. I do remember standing on a platform in Berlin, looking over the wall into the eastern side of the city. Emotionally, I couldn't help but to cry for joy when that wall came down. At the Minuteman Missile National Park, a piece of that wall is on display with a sign encouraging visitors to touch it. I touched it, holding back more tears.
The exit for the Missileman Missile National Park is the same one used for the eastern entrance into Badlands National Park. From flat prairie lands, the landscape changes dramatically. There are all sorts of rather short hiking trails into the vast wilderness. We did several: Doors, Windows, Fossil Exhibit, Cliff Shelf, and Notch.
We had an absolutely marvelous time on this floating ladder along the Notch Trail. During the day, we saw a lone buffalo, a couple mountain goats, and lots and lots of cute prairie dogs.
The next day we went to Custer State Park. Luckily, we weren't a day earlier. Sure, lots of people wanted to be there for the annual Buffalo round-up. In fact, more than 24,000 visitors were expected. It would have been a sight to behold, seeing cowboys and cowgirls herding approximately 1,300 buffaloes into corrals for vaccinations, branding, health checks, and to be sorted into groups to be released back into the park are readied for the upcoming auction. We, however, didn't want to fight the traffic! We did see plenty of buffalo but we also saw a big horned sheep, wild goats, and these free-roaming burros. Although signs cautioned against feeding the animals, it was obvious that these burros were used to being fed!
These wild goats weren't the least bit interested in the cars. It was fun waiting for the herd to munch their way across the road! Steve and I drove all the scenic loops, marveling at nature and enjoying the great weather.
There are several very narrow and short tunnels cut through the mountains. Most could only handle one vehicle at a time. In our cargo van, we just fit through them but one was particularly tight. To amuse people waiting for their turn, this Star Wars stormtrooper was on site for selfies and and photos. As it was Saturday, many were wearing their college football team t-shirts. We weren't but we saw many Ohio Staters. There were plenty of shouts: O-H followed by I-O!
Our next stop was Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. This amazing formation is truly sacred and absolutely magnificent. We took a well maintained, paved 1.3 mile loop around the tower. Plenty of others were out walking too, but everyone was captivated by the nearly one dozen climbers who were scaling the cliffs in three different locations.
