Artist Residencies at Centrum: New Works Happenings at Centrum

Megan Hildebrandt
Historian/performance artist Megan Hildebrandt is currently in residence creating yet another of her entertaining and historically accurate Performance Art pieces. This performance will be an invigorated, interactive exploration via PowerPoint and performance of both the history and contemporary culture of Fort Worden. The “Alternative History Lesson” PPT will include projections of historically based drawings and photographs, with a healthy dose of humor and contemporary, everyday life references.

Says Hildebrandt of the new work:
“It will be a remarkable opportunity to enjoy both some local history and contemporary art. The performance will explore Fort Worden’s multiple identities over the past hundred years as an active military base, a juvenile detention facility, and as a state park. How would John Lorimer Worden, the USS Monitor Commander for whom the Fort was named, relate to the park as a Juvenile Facility, or as a tourist attraction? Who are the people Fort Worden’s batteries and buildings are named for? What was life like here at the Fort during the various periods in its history?

I will also include the past and present of the “City of Dreams”, Port Townsend. What was the role of the railroad in the destiny of the city, and what are the industries that have fed the citizens of Port Townsend, such as the imports of lumber from the port and the local paper mill?”

To get an idea of Megan’s unique style, take a look at this 3 part video recording of "The Rumors Are True!”… a performance/exhibit that just wrapped up in Baltimore, Maryland.

Part 1 "The Rumors are True" Part 2 Part 3

The Port Townsend performance date and location are not yet confirmed. Please contact lisa@centrum.org for details.

Debbie Carlson, Artist Trust GAP award recipient
Debbie is back to continue her work on Sakuhachi, the story of an eight-year-old boy whose world is tossed upside down in 1940s Japan. The novel examines the courage and commitment required from individuals and nations to endure wartime horrors and to confront the ghosts that arise.

Ms. Carlson is one of eight artists and writers selected to receive a Centrum Residency through the Artist Trust GAP Awards. These awards are funded by the Russel Jaqua Fund for Artistic Excellence.

Lucie Duclos
Lucie is a graphic designer and illustrator whose residency will allow her time “to explore the intricate patterns, shades and textures inspired by nature… to create artwork with different mediums (pastels, oil, acrylic, collage or mixed-media) and experiment on a variety of surfaces (wood, textile, paper, etc.). "I believe that we have much to learn from nature. The possibilities for designs and color palettes are an endless source of inspiration.”

Jenn Dean
Jenn is returning to finish The House of My Sleepless Nights, about her mother’s hidden mental illness. A portion of the memoir has been published in the journal Salamander. “There are few literary memoirs about what it felt like to grow up with a parent with Borderline Personality Disorder, and how it shaped one’s views of the world. I want to get this work out there, as BPD is sort of the next “depression,”—meaning it’s becoming talked about in mainstream media culture the way depression was back in the 1990’s. Centrum has been a huge help—offering the quiet space and solitude where one can immerse oneself and forget about home, job, etc. Without Centrum I don’t know how I could finish the book.”

Also a passionate environmentalist, Jenn uses her writing skills to educate the public about the impacts humans have on the environment--in particular the survival issues that bird species face. She has traveled to Bermuda to conduct historical and biological research on one of the most endangered sea birds in the world; the resulting essay, The Keepers of the Ghost Bird, is pending publication. Jenn’s work as a naturalist/writer is widely published.