On Being An Artist In Residence (a presentation to the community)

On Being An Artist In Residence

at the Hubbell Trading Post Historic Site

Presentation by: Paula Scott

Wednesday, Feb. 10th, 2016

At the Rio Rancho Art Association Membership Meeting

(you need not be a member to attend)

Meeting begins at 6:30 pm

Presentation will be made after the business

portion of the meeting is adjourned

Where: Community/Break Room at

Don Chalmers Ford, Rio Rancho

Paula Scott will be giving a presentation/talk about her recent experience as an artist in residence at the Hubbell Trading Post. She will be describing the application process, what her proposal was, how she prepared for the trip and what was accomplished while there, along with stories relating to the day to day experience. Part of the requirement for being an artist in residence is to create a piece of work that will be donated to the site. Pictured (above) are the 'finalists' that Paula presented to the park staff to chose from as the image to be donated. Paula will reveal which one was selected and have on hand the actual piece of art that will be shipped to Hubbell immediately after the presentation.

This event is free and open to the public. 

For more information about this event, call 505 301-2009

New Exhibit Installed at the Hubbell Trading Post

The visitor's center at the Hubbell Trading Post National Monument now has new permanent exhibit that does a wonderful job of explaining how this trading post got to be and the importance of it. A reception and a traditional Navajo Blessing Way Ceremony was held on Aug. 26, 2015.

The images that I have posted here might not be in the order it should be (and I apologize for that), but I hope you take the time to read through this and also visit the website as this place is full of significant history-history that we should be aware of as the impact that one man had on a nation and its people.

My project Propsal for AIR at Hubbell Trading Post

Here's the proposal that I submitted when I applied for the artist in residence at Hubbell Trading Post:

"The relationship between plants and man stem back to the beginning of the human race. Man's dependency on plants have been for food, fuel, clothing, ritual, medicine, dye, shelter, cosmetics and more. Plants, to an extent also have influence on how a society and culture develops and perpetuates. At Hubbell Trading Post, I plan to continue my personal study in this area and to increase my understanding of the role that native plants play in a historical context and current day practices within a culture. In the area of the park, one can find native plants such as rabbitbrush, sagebrush, fourwing salt bush, broom snakeweed, scarlet globemallow, Rocky Mountain bee plant, pinon, junipers, willows and cottonwoods. All of these plants play significant roles in the lives of the Navajo in so many ways.
I would like to be able to share what I learn with the public and offer interpretive media by way of producing art in a contemporary style."

Although I do not know what the piece will end up looking like that I will make to fulfill my proposal, I have a general idea of how I'd like it to be.

 

These hand made 'charts' are a way way to educate and demonstrate how different plants can yield color to fibers-be they animal or plant fibers. It's hard to imagine the time that went into making this kind of a 'chart' as one has to collect the plants at the right time of the year, press them and then have wool that has been dyed with the plant matter and create this little weaving to go with it. Should you ever run into one of these, I hope you will have a greater sense of appreciation for what it is and what went into making it.

These are some of the items I dyed last year (or eco-printed if you want to call it that) with various plant matter. The red in the silk shirt is imparted from the virginia creeper leaves when they turn red in the fall. Fall is the best time to collect a lot of these plants as it is when the leaves have a lot of color and tannin in them. Other plants are best suited at other times of the year. For one to be successful at dyeing with plants, you have to know your plants, what time of year to collect them, how to process it and what mordants create which color shifts and also fix the pigment to the fiber.

Artist in Residence at Hubbell Trading Post

I was so thrilled and honored to have been accepted to do an artist in residence at the Hubbell Trading Post (National Park) in Ganado, AZ. The next series of posts will be about this trip and my art proposal.

Arrival day

It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive from my door to the Hubbell Trading Post Site. 

That's without stops. Not bad, huh?

The guest house/hogan where the visiting artist 

in residence gets to stay.

Behind the hogan and beyond the wash is this hill which is called, Hubbell Hill. It is not on park property and there is a cemetery there. Hubbell, his wife and his best friend are buried there in unmarked graves-true to the Navajo tradition.

The kitchen garden and the chicken coop

If I have my cardinal ordinates correct, this is the north end of the trading post. When the Hubbell family gave the site up to the National Parks, they just left everything-all the wagons, gear, household items and furniture, etc. to the park. A curator's dream!

It's a very large piece of property that makes up the Hubbell Trading Post site-such as fields like this.

I nearly stepped on this bull snake who was trying his best to get away from me!

That's the back side of the Trading Post to the left and to the right is the Hubbell home. Directly ahead is the huge barn.

Here's a great way to see the layout of the property.