Iridescent. Angela Cunningham, artist
By Emma Castleberry
Trillium Arts has announced the recipients of its Helene Emergency Artists Residencies (HEAR) awards, a program designed to support artists in Western North Carolina who were significantly impacted by Hurricane Helene. The six selected artists, Annie Kyla Bennett, Angela Cunningham, Nina Kawar, Nava Lubelski, Mar Perez-Albela (the artist M A R) and Katey Schultz, will each spend a week at Trillium Arts between February and May 2025.
Granny. Nava Lubelski, artist
Trillium surpassed its fundraising goal for the project, making it possible to offer six awards instead of four as planned. The residency includes a $700 stipend, seven nights of private accommodations, a welcome dinner and access to creative spaces and the grounds at Trillium. Artists are not expected to create or produce anything specific during their residency.
Bennett, a painter, will spend her time at Trillium on pieces for The Mother Plant, a series of paintings set to debut during the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival happening in late March. “I am so looking forward to some quiet and reflective time and space to reconnect with painting, after going through this horrendous trauma together,” Bennett says. “I think the purpose of my art is to create a bridge that spans from exactly wherever the viewer is in their lives, to a place of connection, balance and co-nurturing with Nature.”
M A R, a Peruvian singer, songwriter and music producer, draws from both his South American roots and North American folk influences to create his music. “I intend to use this residency to dive into songwriting,” he says. “I’ll bring my acoustic guitar, my charango and my mobile production rig with me, and I will sit to download the songs that have been waiting to be written. This award feels like winning a trip to the ‘creator spa.’ It will give me an opportunity to relax, just be present and create. It makes me feel seen.”
Mar Perez-Albela. Photo courtesy of the artist
Cunningham, a fine artist working in painting, drawing and sculpture, applied for the HEAR hoping for a break from the stress of home repairs after six trees fell on her studio. “The art community was the only place I felt I could turn to with hopes to receive some assistance and support,” she says. During her residency, she intends to sketch and develop ideas for future large-scale works. “To be given the opportunity to have a window of time to focus on nothing else but my artwork is such a rare gift,” she says.
Schultz, an author, will use her time at Trillium to review the first draft of her upcoming novel and embrace the solitude Trillium offers. “I see this as an opportunity to rest and heal, rather than a time to push or pressure myself,” she says. “Even though I am reluctant to leave home after so much trauma in my family and community, I understand I also need to rest and recover myself.”
(From left) Shadow. Nina Kawar, artist; Heart Garden. Annie Kyla Bennett, artist; Heart Garden. Annie Kyla Bennett, artist
Kawar, a sculptor and designer, will use the residency to refine pieces started during a previous residency. “I am honored and grateful to receive the support and space to drop into my creative process,” she says. “It is especially meaningful at this time, given I do not have a home or studio to devote to my art practice. Creating for me is a process that allows me to connect more deeply with myself and allows for creative expression that is grounded in healing.”
Lubelski, a textile artist, will spend the week working intensively on a large-scale textile piece. “With full-time focus I can accomplish quite a lot in a week,” she says. “It’s been a challenging time to focus on making artwork and this kind of support is profoundly meaningful.”
Trillium Arts is a residency center located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Mars Hill. Learn more at TrilliumArtsNC.org.
