If you live in the Village of Oak Creek, be aware that an invasion is imminent.
No, it’s not bed bugs, migrating geese or anything of the animal nature — unless, of course, you count artists as animals. Beginning Sunday, June 19, over 125 creative people will begin arriving at Verde Valley School to start a new residency program established by VVS and Sedona Arts Center.
“They are musicians, ceramic artists, choreographers, poets, film-makers, organization directors and documentarians,” SAC Executive Director Eric Holowacz stated. “Our summer guests come representing significant 21st-century cultural production from as far away as Hobart, Tasmania; Helsinki, Finland; Auckland, New Zealand; and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. While here, Sedona will be their host and summertime home.”
The Sedona Summer Colony, as founders Holowacz and VVS Head of School Paul Amado have billed it, began as an idea in November, when Holowacz and Amadio — newly arrived to their positions as heads of well established organizations — first met. Ready for change, both men agreed to a partnership to enhance the local arts and culture identity and build new relationships.
“At the very heart of the idea is a guest-host relationship providing time and space — and ready support for the creative process — here in our village-like desert environment,” Amadio stated. “Sedona Summer Colony residents will also have the simple opportunity to get away from their familiar home routines, and find quiet contemplation and solitude in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.”
For Holowacz, a longtime artists’ retreat organizer, the concept hearkens back to groundbreaking artists’ retreats such as Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., MacDowell in Peterborough, N.H., Hambidge Center in Rabun Gap, Ga., Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, Calif., and the American Academy in Rome. According to him, those organizations were “built upon a strong belief in the power of interdisciplinary associations of artists.”
“Our goal is to do something similar in Sedona, and build a 21st-century model for the most interesting creative people we can find, without imposing or demanding much from them,” Amadio added.
While in residence over the summer, the visiting artists and cultural managers will have ample opportunities to explore the red rock landscapes, connect with Southwest traditions and engage with an already established and active creative community.
Holowacz and Amadio believe they can incubate a legacy similar to those in areas with established artists’ retreats.
To learn more about this VVS and SAC partnership, become a volunteer, donate housing or services or support the Sedona Summer Colony in any way, contact Eric Holowacz at (928) 487-0887.
