A center for the arts in Cundinamarca, Colombia
Name: James Michael Maynard
Place of residence: USA/ traveling
Occupation: Aspiring writer and musician
Age: 24
Met in: Fondation ArteSumapaz, Colombia / October 2019
Contact: jamesmayn32@gmail.com
Editor’s note: This interview is part of an ongoing series of interviews by Gabriel Kreuzer, on his travels through South America. Photo by Gabriel Kreuzer.
Gabriel Kreuzer (GK): If you had the free choice, who would you like to have dinner with?
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When the seed of my father fertilized my mother’s egg, a new organism was born. Initially a Stem Cell; a living being, sacred, made up of atoms as old as the Universe itself and with all the genetic information necessary to make me who I am. This first cell reproduced, multiplying and creating new cells in a magical alchemical process of mitosis.
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As we enter our seventh month here at ArteSumapaz, we are so grateful for the many volunteers who have shared their time and energy with us. Volunteerism wasn’t really a part of our dream to begin with, but a chance meeting with someone who had participated with the volunteer platform Workaway turned us on to the possibilities; and since then, we’ve had over 30 volunteers from all around the world!
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I had been traveling for 10 months when I arrived at ArteSumapaz, accompanied by Damián and carrying heavy backpacks. This house, lost among the mountains, has been one of the hundreds of places that I have inhabited since I started traveling. During this journey I have had very diverse homes, including mobile homes, beach houses, tents, hostels, apartments and pensions. Some I loved, and others not so much; It’s part of the “risk” of this adventure. ArteSumapaz is one of the homes that I loved.
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Scottish artist, Kirsty Nicoll, has been our second international AIR. As she had been traveling through South America prior to her arrival, Kirsty had a limited supply of materials with her; she has used the opportunity for a very personal investigation of self-portrait. Many thanks to both Kirsty and Joseph Puglisi for the following interview.
Inerviewer: Joseph Puglisi
Joseph: What is your name and your cultural background?
Kirsty: I’m Kirsty Nicoll, and I’m from Scotland.
In July 2019, we had our first official artist-in-residence, the Belgian painter, Nils Verkaeren. I had first seen Verkaeren’s work via a recent book, and was excited to have him working here; the actual experience was even better than I could have anticipated. Not only is Verkaeren a remarkable painter, but his energy for life and work is energizing.
Continue readingCo-founders Ric Dragon, a United States visual artist living in Colombia for the past four years, and Pedro Crump, a Colombian composer and musician, have announced the formation of a non-profit organization dedicated to the support and growth of art and culture in Colombia. The foundation, named ArteSumapaz, is located on a former coffee plantation of 286 acres in San Bernardo, Cundinamarca.
Continue readingWhether you’re coming as a volunteer or as a visiting artist, if this is your first visit to Colombia, there are a few really wonderful books that are worth reading. Here are our recommendations:
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I’m currently in Japan for the month of March, attending my own artist-in-residency at Studio Kura, in Ishotima, Japan. Besides getting to focus on my own work, I’m getting to see firsthand how an established AIR functions.
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