Beginning as a seasonal wash in remote northern Arizona, Kanab Creek carves through the plateau to become one of the most significant tributaries on the north side of the Grand Canyon. A 75,000-acre federal wilderness designation protects the area and the countless cultural artifacts still present there. Pictographs adorn the canyon walls, evidence of an ancestral Puebloan culture that archaeologists call �"The Basketmakers." This quiet corner of the Southwest will be the setting of our fourth semi-annual MFA retreat.Our workshop-style approach offers current graduate students a blend of playful creative exercises and introspection among a unique cohort from programs throughout the country.Along with conveying baseline backcountry skills, we'll use this setting as a laboratory to discover the connections between our ongoing artistic pursuits and a sense of wildness. What can we learn from the economy of desert life? From our observations of the nocturnal? From adapting to a very different kind of studio? We pair quick collaborative projects intended to stimulate observation with exercises encouraging you to think and communicate about your work with clarity and sincerity. We also make time for rest, day hikes, and solitude.The model of this trip involves short stints of backpacking as well as days staying put, base-camping in a far-flung wilderness. We will likely bookend our backcountry trip with car camping and site visits in the region.Participants: Julia Blume, Anjas DuBois, Andrew Campbell, Willy Chandler, Shawn Creeden, Mandy Hampton, Ellen Petruzzella, Kate Sarrantonio
Sign up for the alumni Newsletter
