Session Three Update from Djerassi!
From left to right: Session 3 Artists, Amber Bemak, Sara Shelton Mann, Kirya Traber, Brad Erickson, Helen Georgas
Residencies, Renewal, and Reconnection
The artists-in-residence of session three brought an impressive and wonderful mix of personality and artistic practice to the mountain, drawing on their natural camaraderie as well as the signature “care and feeding” provided by Djerassi staff. 

Some examples of artist feedback provide a sense of the potential power residencies can have:
“My time at Djerassi was invaluable to the development of my novel. The setting, both the natural world and the artistic works among it, gave me such imaginative fuel, and the month away from my professional life gave me a freedom I've seldom had to dive into craft, and make new discoveries about my process itself.”

Kiyra Traber, Playwright, Session 3, 2022
"I cannot stress enough how essential this is to art making! Feeling incredibly supported by the staff here was also very useful. There's so little support for artists and art-making out there in the real world! It was good to be here and feel honored as an artist… Having a month to focus completely on my manuscript was essential. While I was here, I worked through revisions of three stories in the collection. I hope to finish the manuscript this year and Djerassi was instrumental in helping me move forward towards that goal." 

Hellen Georgas, Writer, Session 3, 2022
"It was a great support for my work. It really gave me the space to concentrate, and the landscape inspired and energized me. The time alone and the quiet was nourishing… [I will remember] the prepared meals so I didn't have to think about cooking. The enthusiasm about supporting artists which shone from all staff and board members. The space (Middlebrook Studio) was incredibly conducive and comfortable.” 

Amber Bemak, Film Maker, Session 3, 2022
Introducing our third session of artists-in-residence this year:

Amber Bemak is a filmmaker, artist, and educator whose work is based in experimental and documentary film. For the past two decades, she has been engaged in a multi-layered exploration of performance and film which uses the body as a site for socio-political inquiry, engages with text, language, and translation to open up discourse around deeply embedded colonization narratives, and commits to linking the intimate and personal with larger institutional structures.

Brad Erickson is an award-winning playwright and arts administrator recently relocated from California to Summerville, SC, where he and his husband are establishing an artists residency. From 2003-2022, Brad served as executive director of Theatre Bay Area, one of the nation’s largest regional performing arts service organizations.

Helen Georgas is a Greek Canadian writer, librarian, and editor based in Brooklyn, New York. Since 2009, she has been an editor of the digital arts platform Underwater New York and served as literary co-editor of the anthology Silent Beaches, Untold Stories: New York City's Forgotten Waterfront (Damiani, 2016).

Kirya Traber is a nationally awarded writer, performer, and cultural worker. Originally from Northern California, she now resides in New York City. She is Curator-in-Residence with Hi-ARTS, and a collaborating artist with Ping Chong + Company, and an artistic Consultant with the New Victory Theater in NYC. Throughout her ambitious performance and writing career, Kirya has continuously utilized her art for social change as a cultural organizer.
Sara Shelton Mann has been a choreographer, performer, and teacher since 1967. She was a protégé of Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis in New York City before moving to Canada where she met Andrew Harwood and fell in love with Contact Improvisation. In 1979 she moved to San Francisco to work with Mangrove, now Mixed Bag Productions, for which she serves as artistic director. Her Moving Alchemy training is an ongoing teaching project and is influenced by certifications and studies in the metaphysical and healing traditions.
(P.S. We couldn’t do this without your help. Please consider making a donation by clicking here. Your support for our mission of supporting artists and preserving the natural beauty of these 583 acres is greatly appreciated!)
Images: Top right - Session 3 Cohort |Top left- Session 3 Cohort with surprise guest Easter Bunny | Middle left - Amber Bemak | Middle right - Brad Erickson | Middle left - Helen Georgas | Bottom right - Kirya Traber | Botton left - Sara Shelton Mann
2325 Bear Gulch Road
Woodside, CA 94062
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