Mott Hall Charter School Camp; Art Barn Weekend at Byrdcliffe
Just before kicking-off the Session I residency, we had the opportunity to host two very special guests this past weekend: Mott Hall Charter School and the Art Barn Theater Group.
Arriving from the Bronx, a select group of eight middle school students from Mott Hall Charter School, came to the Villeta for a weekend retreat consisting of writing workshops, studio visits, and sight seeing. Their goals for the weekend were to explore nature and to develop their craft as writers with writing topics revolving around the theme of water. Guided by local writer, Barbara Baker, they accomplished these aims–they explored the Ashokan reservoir, the local animal sanctuary, and even attended sculptor Martin Puryear’s studio. By the weekend’s close, they returned to the Bronx having experienced a range of what Woodstock has to offer, the beauty and solitude of nature, and having gained a renewed interest in writing.
Finally, on Sunday evening, Art Barn premiered their theater production, Ghost House, at White Pines. Coming together in just ten days, this fanciful interpretation of New York’s infamous hoarders, the Collyer Brothers, was an immersive experience requiring the audience to follow the actors through a carefully constructed space. Over sixty audience members attended the show, filling the long corridors of White Pines, the foyers and quarters–although crammed, the performance continued unhindered.
Overall, a successful weekend! Now, onto the residencies!
A.i.R. Byrdcliffe 