“The Friendship Committee” is a multi-media collaboration with two distinct community groups in rural West Central Minnesota. This exhibition is the culmination of a six-week “Hinge” Artist Residency offered by Springboard for the Arts in 2018. This residency period allowed me the opportunity to explore the themes of “home” and “belonging” in the rural Midwest, a region where I have deep family roots. This exploration engaged the communities of Pelican Rapids, a diverse, meat-packing town of 2,400 people and A Place to Belong, a social club for individuals with persistent or chronic mental health issues. This exhibition features collaborative installations by members of both groups as well as a series of “felt paintings” that I created in response to my time in residence.

THE LISTENING ACTIVITY

This video features the audio interviews I conducted with nearly two dozen Pelican  Rapids residents. The exhibition featured a coloring book that was designed to be drawn in while listening to this interview footage.

This project has received support from Springboard for the Arts, the Otter Tail County Historical Society, the Pelican Rapids School District, and the Viking Library System.