Suzanne Dittenber: “SO many ‘yes’ people—eager to say yes to projects, ideas, open to attending events, enthusiastic about engaging conversation.”
One thing I found myself longing for in the first year of my son’s life were those stretches of uninterrupted time to read, think, journal, and sketch that now feel so rare. I’m so grateful to Parts and Labor for creating a supportive environment that allowed for this. I spent a good portion of my residency making plans for a new body of work. I took time to ingest material I’d been wanting to explore, slowly listened to Seydisfjordur Community Radio’s The Condition of Music #31 and #32 “In the Garden” by Ben Duvall. This led me to discover May Sarton’s writing, particularly the poem “An Observation” which impacted me quite a lot. I created rough maquettes of outdoor garden-esque spaces to reference while starting three new paintings and was able to reflect on a curatorial project underway, musing on interactions between nature and culture while listening to audio books: Thus Spoke the Plant and The Light Eaters. I left feeling internally refreshed, optimistic and creatively energized at a level I hadn’t experienced for quite some time.
While in San Antonio, the tragic flooding of the Hill Country occurred. Our hearts broke with the pain and loss this nearby region faced. We remembered our own experience less than a year ago with Hurricane Helene in Asheville. The experience of witnessing such tragedies isn’t something one metabolizes quickly and we’re continuing to feel the heaviness of this. While not planned or wished for, this residency revived contemplation about these issues—what we can control and what we can’t, and the power of neighbors helping neighbors.
We were completely charmed by San Antonio! And loved the chance to make work while also exploring a city new to us. We found San Antonio very family friendly. The amazing water features at Hemisfair were a hit, as were free city pools. We enjoyed evening walks along the river and loved taking our time studying the architecture in King William. The residency house was so comfortable and endless fun for Finn, trying out each chair, hiding behind the curtain in the bedroom, discovering how magnets work via the screen on the back door. Our little guy really blossomed while socializing in such a warm community, and getting to interact with other kids. We were also struck by how open and positive the art community felt. We encountered SO many “yes” people—eager to say yes to projects, ideas, open to attending events, enthusiastic about engaging conversation.
This was an especially bolstering experience and made for an impacting three weeks. We continue to talk about how we might siphon off some of this energy and transport it to Asheville. Meaghan, Jack, Liz and Matt hosted us so graciously. We had such a fun time joining them for a few meals! They are very special people and I felt my whole person was valued in their presence. We’re already scheming, looking for an excuse to come back!
