An artist residency with zero distractions
Paseo Project’s Matt Thomas heads for Art Farm, Nebraska
MARQUETTE, NEBRASKA, was founded in 1882 when the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad was extended to that point. Named for Thomas M. Marquette, a railroad official, Marquette was incorporated as a village, seven years later, in 1889. Situated in Hamilton County, as of the census of 2010, there were 229 people residing in the village.
If you are an artist looking for a place with zero distractions, this is possibly as close as you’ll get. For J. Matthew Thomas, artist, architect, entrepreneur and The Paseo Project cofounder, peace and quiet don’t come easily, but Art Farm in Marquette may be just what the doctor ordered.
Artist-in-residence programs over varying duration provide artists with the opportunity to live and work outside of their usual environments, allowing them time to reflect, research and produce work.
“The Art Farm is the perfect place for creating: lots of wind, lots of bugs, lots of birds, lots of old buildings, lots of old machines, lots of hot weather, lots of big storms and lots of isolation,” reads the introduction on the artist residency website. “Surprise yourself and apply – it could be just what you’ve been looking for.”
Located on a 60-acre farm in central Nebraska, surrounded by endless cornfields as far as the eye can see, are several buildings; 10 of which are studios, three are accommodations, one is set on steel beams 5 feet above the ground, one is made of clay and two are neglected. Fifteen acres of pasture can be used for any purpose from sculpture to performance. “And,” the site’s intro continues, “like it or not, the weather will always be your collaborator.”
In this stark and desolate landscape, provocative and meaningful work is sure to be made by Thomas – no doubt imbued with the soul of the American heartland – at this crucial moment in the country’s history, on the cusp of the 2020 presidential election.
The funding for a residency and the criteria for being selected vary. Applications typically require artists to submit
a project proposal, résumé and letter of motivation, or some similar documentation. The facility offers accommodations and studio space for artists to pursue their art in exchange for a contribution of labor of 12 hours per week to help renovate and maintain Art
Farm’s buildings and grounds as well as other projects, suited to skills and temperament.
To find out more about the Art Farm, visit it online at artfarmnebraska. org/residency.html.