Barbara Bickel

Appalachia Artist Residency

Afterglow is the descriptor word that emerges as I reflect on the week Michael and I just spent as Visiting Artists at Appalachia State University in Boone, North Carolina where we inhabited the HOW Space downtown. This residency comes at the start of a juncture in our life where we are leaving my stable University position and stepping into a time of integration of the last 9 years of life experiences in the USA. Transitioning to a less stable and more fully co-creative life in Canada, this residency was transformative at multiple levels and a spiritual re-grounding for us as a creative couple. The following blogs will be mostly photos depicting moments of the residency; the Dream Scroll installation, the three Nap-ins that I facilitated with Education students, Montessori school children, and community members; the performative releasing of dreams; the labyrinth walking rituals in Katrina Plato’s grass labyrinth, a visit to Penland School of Crafts, artist talks, film screenings, and the Blue Ridge Parkway hikes and vistas that Michael and I sunk our beings into. We loved Appalachia and the people there who made our visit so rich; Art Educator Brooke Hofsess, Expressive Arts Therapist Katrina Plato in particular, and all the many students, faculty and people we met. I want to thank Shawna Caldwell for her documentation of the Nap-Ins. Such beautiful energy in these ancient mountains and in the people we met who call this place home. An extra thanks to Shawna for the new profile photo that I cropped from one of her photos.

Trans Canada # 1 road stop winds. Photo by R. Michael Fisher Elbow River lookout near Sandy Beach Park, Calgary AB. Photo by Barbara Bickel Saskatoon berry picking. Photo By Barbara Bickel Sasktoon berries. Photo by Barbara Bickel Saskatoon berry stained finger around Alder tree trunk. Photo by Barbara Bickel

Motel Art on the wall Inside Mark Twain Cave. Hannibal, Missouir. Photo By Barbara Bickel Bike ride outside of Elk Point S. Dakota. Photo by Barbara Bickel S. Dakota cornfielf. Photo by Barbara Bickel cafe brochure Tall Prairie grasses S. Dakota Traverse Indian reservation. S. Dakota Sisseton Watpeton College in S. Dakota. Photo by Barbara Bickel double rainbow outsdie of Fargo N. Dakota. Photo Barbara Bickel Outside of Estevan Saskatchewan. Just past the Portal N.D border crossing. Photo Barbara Bickel

Front yard oak tree in Carbondale. Photo credit r. Michael Fisher cyprus tree at Campus Lake in Carbondale. Photo credit r. Michael Fisher Mystery tree at the Oakland St. Cemetary in Carbondale. Photo credit R. Michael Fisher Mother tree at the small downtown cemetery in Carbondale. Photo Credit Megan Sims Megan and Barbara in double trunk tree pose. Photo Credit Holly Courmier Barbara and Holly in mother tree hug. Phot credit Megan Sims Fallen Tree - mixed media drawing on wood, 36 x 24 inches, by Barbara Bickel, 2008

Mandala Gardens, sandstone & rock labyrinth. Releasing the dreams from the Diversity Dream Scroll gathering of students, faculty and friends. Photo credit Gregory Wendt Mandala Gardens, sandstone & rock labyrinth. Releasing the dreams from the Diversity Dream Scroll with students, faculty and friends. Photo credit Gregory Wendt Reading the dreams from the Diversity Dream Scroll with students, faculty and friends. Photo credit Gregory Wendt Reading the dreams from the Diversity Dream Scroll with students, faculty and friends. Photo credit Gregory Wendt Mandala Gardens, sandstone & rock labyrinth. Releasing the dreams from the Diversity Dream Scroll with students, faculty and friends. Photo credit Gregory Wendt Chelesea holding up the Diversity Dream Scroll during the performance ritual. Photo credit Gregory Wendt Mandala Gardens, Releasing the dreams performance ritual with the Diversity Dream Scroll with students, faculty and friends. Photo credit Gregory Wendt Throuhg the Moon Gate. Releasing the dreams performance ritual with the Diversity Dream Scroll with students, faculty and friends. Photo credit Gregory Wendt Margaret holding the Diversity Dream Scroll wiht the rising moon above the Moon Gate. Mandala Gardens. Photo credit Gregory Wendt Diana Tigerlily & Barbara rolling up Diversity Dream Scroll .Photo credit Gregory Wendt

Appalachia Artist Residency

Afterglow is the descriptor word that emerges as I reflect on the week Michael and I just spent as Visiting Artists at Appalachia State University in Boone, North Carolina where we inhabited the HOW Space downtown. This residency comes at the start of a juncture in our life where we are leaving my stable University position and stepping into a time of integration of the last 9 years of life experiences in the USA. Transitioning to a less stable and more fully co-creative life in Canada, this residency was transformative at multiple levels and a spiritual re-grounding for us as a creative couple. The following blogs will be mostly photos depicting moments of the residency; the Dream Scroll installation, the three Nap-ins that I facilitated with Education students, Montessori school children, and community members; the performative releasing of dreams; the labyrinth walking rituals in Katrina Plato’s grass labyrinth, a visit to Penland School of Crafts, artist talks, film screenings, and the Blue Ridge Parkway hikes and vistas that Michael and I sunk our beings into. We loved Appalachia and the people there who made our visit so rich; Art Educator Brooke Hofsess, Expressive Arts Therapist Katrina Plato in particular, and all the many students, faculty and people we met. I want to thank Shawna Caldwell for her documentation of the Nap-Ins. Such beautiful energy in these ancient mountains and in the people we met who call this place home. An extra thanks to Shawna for the new profile photo that I cropped from one of her photos.

Appalachia - Blue Ridge Parkway - rhododendrum forest Applachia Blue Ridge Parkway - mountain stream Appalachia - Blue Ridge Parkway summit ridge view Appalachia - Blue Ridge Parkway - rideg summit view Grandfather Mountain - Appalachia Blue Ridge Parkway - feet in the stream. Photo credit R. Michael Fisher

Montessori School children walking and sharing their dreams from their new Dream Scroll in their school garden. Photo Credit Shawn Caldwell Montessor student hanging their Dream Scroll in the cherry tree. The center of their school commnity. Photo Credit Shawna Caldwell Montessor Dream Scroll hung in the school cherry tree. Photo credit Shawna Caldwell

Barbara & Michael at HOW Space. Boone, North Carolina Katrina, Vicky and Shelby adding their dreams to the Dream Scroll. Photo credit Shawna Caldwell Dream Scroll Installation with blue tape labyrinth in HOW Space, Boone NC. Reading the Dreams at close of the Nap-In. Photo credit Shawna Caldwell Releasing the Dreams - journey down to the creek behind HOW Space NC. Releasing the Dreams over the flowing creek Vicky Grube clothed in and dancing the dreams of the Dream Scroll