HABITAT FOR ARTISTS at Philipse Brook , Philipston NY

We're making plans to bring the project to Philipstown next year . So far we have had some really important , initial support from individuals and groups in the area , and its continuing .We've come up with what we think is going to be a hybrid project . An amalgamation of some of the initial ideas when it first was at Spire Studios in Beacon , and lessons learnt in New Paltz this past year. We hope we can also sustain some satellite interests .We'll be looking to grow the number of studios at the CSA farm near Beacon , and venture in to new territory around Hudson NY.

Had a great chat with Tim and Devin from the Beacon CSA about ideas that could be used in the context of the farm . Devin will be moving on to help legislation down in DC so who knows HFA might get to go to Washington , Mr Smith ?? Tim and I will be continuing this dialog in the new year.

For next year's selection of artists at the project in Philipstown we now have a terrific panel. Made up of past HFA artists and local curators plus an art writer you may have heard of ,....

They will be formulating guidelines so artists can propose projects for a 3 week residency

or less and encouraging artists to collaborate with various groups in the community . We hope to encourage a variety of work combining topics that deal with land use as well as purely visual devices but all looking to put art in the every day and encourage new dialogue about visual stuff !! AND more !

We'll be teaming up with some usual suspects and some new partners to see how far we can take the dialogue . We hope to be partnering with Chris Kennedy from Artiscycle . Chris was at Solar 1 and developed a great book called The Green Innovator . Dionis Ortiz from Work Space Harlem will be getting involved with the project in a number of ways . WSH will be holding an exhibit of past HFA artists in the Spring and Dionis will be taking up a residency at HFA some time in the Summer. We hope to get the studio back at Poets Walk and be working with Scenic Hudson again . We've a plan to make the studio there exclusively for Writers(working with the

theme of the Park !) . Chris Albert might be back with us as he heads up a proposal with the Beacon Community Center next spring .

A big part of this next project will be OUTREACH . Getting a variety of volunteers to help with a variety of tasks . Getting the community in and helping and participating with all sorts of projects we have planned . From helping build the studios to help in the creation of new work and getting to document the project and blog about the whole thing !

So young and old , and all kinds of experience will be welcomed as we start to build the community with in the community . We'll be coming up with new stuff and recycling some of the old stuff ... so it only gets better ! If you're in the area and want to get involved get in touch

SOON ! As usual stay well , stay healthy and eat heartily but know where the food comes from !! Best SD.