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Andes Sprouts Society

Andes Sprouts Society is the second in a series of Site/Project Profiles that present off-grid, hyper-isolated residencies. Andes Sprouts Society offers 2 day to one month residencies to individuals integrating media, art, technology and farming. Residents enjoy a 250-square-foot self-contained mobile live/work cabin that relies on renewable systems, such as solar power and water catchment, as well as technological conveniences such as wi-fi. This year, the residency will be located at Goldenheart Unidiversity and the Michael Kudish Natural History Preserve, a diversified small farm with livestock, bees and vegetable and flower gardens, in Stamford, NY. Applications for summer 2011 are due April, 15th.

Andes Sprouts Society

Address: Location of this year’s residency is at the
Michael Kudish Natural History Preserve, on Churchill Mountain
2515 Tower Mountain Road, Stamford, NY 12167
Contact/Email: Erwin Karl {andessproutssociety@gmail.com}
Website: http://andessproutsresidency.wordpress.com/
Open Hours: Residency Season for 2011 is from July thru September.__

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How is the project operated? For-profit, nonprofit, artist-run, etc
Non-profit hybrid art and farming organization.

How long has it been in existence?
Andes Sprouts was founded in 2007. New Media Residency has been operating since 2010.

What was your motivation?
Forge a link between farmers and new media artists and urban and rural settings.

Number of organizers/responsible persons of the project
3 people operate Andes Sprouts and now a collaborating host farm for the 2011 residency season are on deck.

How are programs funded? (ie membership fees, public funding, sponsors, etc.)
Public funding, sponsors and lots of volunteer hours and materials.

Who is responsible for the programming? (Curators, Directors, etc)
Andes Sprouts Society Board and Advisors

Number and average duration of exhibitions/events per year
2

What kind of events are usually organized?
Workshops, fieldtrips, dinners, hands-on fieldwork.

How is your programming determined?
Annually during the winter months.

Do you accept proposals/submissions?
Yes, right now we are accepting submissions for month long residency stay. Applications for short stays 2-5 days are considered year round.

What is your artistic/curatorial approach?
Through sensing, cultivating and communicating with the soil, fields, seeds, plants, bees and animals via electronic means and devices, we explore a brand new genre of electronic art that situates artists in the farm land.

What’s working? What’s not working?
Local community support, collaborating with regional educational and cultural organizations and successful residency last season are encouraging. What’s not working was being tied to one location, but that has been resolved and the residency program now interacts with a different farm setting every year. This we hope will increase the diversity in projects and artists who participate with Andes Sprouts.

What kind of role do you hope to play in your local art scene or community?
Collaborate with local organizations working in arts or agricultural pursuits, building a bridge between farmers and the creative arts community.

What idea are you most excited about for the future?
Collaborating on the bridge between urban and rural interests.
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Images courtesy of Andes Sprouts Society.


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  1. Mary Snowden

    I think this is great. I have been looking for a link between farming and the arts for quite awhile. I am personally interested in small local farms; their struggles, means of survival, and creation of simpler life styles. There is a rich history in the small American farm, also.


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