Landfall & Kent Cottage, Brigus, Newfoundland
Photo by Wm. Matthews, Portugal Cove, NL.
Landfall Trust Artists & Writers-in-Residence
Landfall's Kent Cottage has hosted a variety of remarkable artists and writers since the turn of the 20th century, starting with Rockwell Kent (1914-1915). Amatuer landscape artists A.E. Harris lived and painted from Kent Cottage between 1929 and 1933, as did Bradley Folensbee between 1953 and 2004.
The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery Division and Canada Council for the Arts, supports a series of summer Artist-in-Residence programs. Since 2005, The Rooms and Landfall Trust have partnered to annually co-sponsor a summer Kent Cottage resident artisit. In 2008, the Trust started an annual writers residence. Someday, we hope to locate a co-sponsor to offer a music residency.
Landfall's Kent Cottage residencies have included...
Jenn Farrell , 2011 -Trust Sponsored- Ms Farrell is the author of two collections of short fiction: The Devil You Know and Surgar Bush and Other Stories (both Anvil Press, 2010, 2006). . She is a two-time winner of the Vancouver Courier Fiction Contest, and the recipient of the 2002 Maclean-Hunter Endowment Prize for non-fiction. Jenn is a board member of the Magazine Association of British Columbia and a contributor to CBC Radio.
Now living in Vancouver, she works as a freelance writer, editor, and creative writing teacher in Continuing Studies at Langara College, and is currently working on her third book. Enjoy Jenn's Landfall blog.
Veselina Tomova -The Rooms Partnership- Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Veselina graduated from the Academy
of Graphic Art and Book Design in Leipzig, Germany. She now lives in St. John's, Newfoundland, and is a co-owner of Vis-à-Vis Graphics. Recipient of the Visual Artists Newfoundland and Labrador 2011 Large Year Award, Tomova divides
her time between her graphic design business and her favourite activities,
like drawing, painting, printmaking, pottery, illustrating children's books and walking on St. John's scenic Battery
Cliffs.
Veselina is represented by the Red Ochre Gallery in St. John's.
Frederick Lewis, 2011 -Trust sponsored- A documentary filmmaker and a Professor at the School of Media Arts and Studies at Ohio University, Frederick is currently writing a Rockwell Kent biography to be published next year. He produced, wrote and directed the 3-hour documentary Retracing Rockwell Kent. Frederick was a 3-week guest of the Trust and is engaged in the 2014 centenial recognizing Rockwell Kent's arrivial in Newfoundland and stay at Landfall. Thank you, Frederick!
Marie Wadden, 2010 -Trust Sponsored- An accomplished journalist and author living in St. John's, Marie was Landfall's second writer-in-residence. Marie worked on her first venture into fiction with a strong Conception Bay flavour. Marie spent the better part of Hurricane Igor at Landfall comfortably nestled in Kent Cottage. Read more about Marie’s Landfall stay and residency in her notes. Marie's experience as a journalist has been very helpful to the Trust. Thank you, Marie!
Christy Georg, 2010 -The Rooms Partnership - From Boston, Chrisy is an adventurer and accomplished sculptural artist with a broad range of talent. She enjoyed a three-week residency at Landfall and conducted three workshops for local nautical enthusiasts. Christy's Landfall residency focused on research for an art grant proposal supporting the preservation of the Schooner Ernestina, which sailed out of Brigus under Capt. Bob Bartlett. Follow Christy's adventures through the art world in her creative and delightful blog.
Dennis Flynn, 2010 -Trust Sponsored- From Colliers, Newfoundland, Dennis is a photographer and writer. During his residency, Dennis completed an extensive “as built” photographic record of Landfall, both internal and external. This will be of considerable value to the Trust's Kent Cottage conservation and preservation efforts. He also published an article for the April 2010 issue of Life is Better Downhome, entitled The Landfall Legacy. Dennis is now a member of the Landfall Trust Board of Directors. Thank you, Dennis!
Brian Hoxha, 2009 -The Rooms Partnership- Brian is an accomplished landscape artist from Toronto, and a graduate from the Ontario School of Fine Arts. He has travelled extensively in Canada and shown his works in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Most of his paintings are in private and corporate collections. You may view some of Brians Newfoundland seacapes on-line and locally in a St. John's gallery.
Kevin Major, 2008 –Trust Sponsored- An accomplished teacher and writer, Kevin has published more than 12 novels, many focusing on children including the critically acclaimed The House of Wooden Santas. Many of his award-winning books have been translated into several languages and four have been adapted into plays. Kevin’s Landfall residency included working with classes at Amalgamated Academy. Kevin resides in St. John's with his wife, Anne, and family. Kevin and Anne are members of the Landfall Trust Advisory Committee. Thank you, Kevin and Anne!
Temma Gentles, 2008 –The Rooms Partnership– Temma has a repertoire of textile techniques including weaving, appliqué, silk screen basketry and beading, and focuses on commissioned textiles for religious environments. With a strong academic and design background, including family traditions, Temma's textiles have exhibited extensively through-out North America. Her works are found in collections around the world and in numerous publications. During her residency, Temma hosted a textile workshop for children in Brigus.
Gerald Squires, 2007, 2008 and 2009 –Trust Sponsored- Elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, appointed to the Order of Canada, receiptent of the Her majesty's Golden Jubilee Award and inducted to the Newfoundland and Labrador Art Council's Hall of Honor, Gerald carries a full palette. During his residency, Gerald created the limited edition Kent Cottage at Landfall print and gave an illustrated lecture; the proceeds from the print sales support the Trust's Kent Cottage conservations efforts. Thank you, Gerald!
Robert Tombs, 2007 –The Rooms Partnership– An Ottawa-based artist and graphic designer, Robert studied at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and received a MFA from the Yale School of Art. He works exclusively with cultural clients such as art galleries and the academic press. His projects have won numerous art, design and printing awards. Robert is currently a professor in the Applied Arts at Algonquin College School of Media+Design. He was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2008. You can view more of Robert's works at his Studio of Special Projects.
Eleanor Wachtel, 2007 –Trust Sponsored - Recipient of six honourary degrees, award winning writer, broadcaster, and popular host of CBC Radio’s “Writers and Company” program, Eleanor was the first Trust sponsored residency. During her residency at Landfall, Eleanor gave a sell out presentation at Memorial University in St. John’s, The Lives of Writers. Proceeds from the presentation supported Landfall Trust programs. Thank you, Eleanor!
Sylvia Bendzsa, 2006 –The Rooms Partnership- Settling in Newfoundland from Ontario in 1974, Sylvia travels the province extensively during the summer sketching and painting. Known for her paintings, etchings, and lithographs, she has a BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Sylvia is represented in private and public collections across Canada and some of her Newfoundland works are found in the Permanent Collection of the Rooms Provincial Gallery. During her residency at Landfall, Sylvia conducted a materials and sketching workshop.
Cecil Day, 2006 –The Rooms Partnership– With an MFA from Washington University, Cecil lives in Nova Scotia, but has spent much of her time in Newfoundland. As a printmaker, Cecil translates her work into quilts, water-colours, paper maché sculptures and fabric banners. Her work is extensively exhibited in solo, group and juried shows across North America, and are in the Permanent Collection at The Rooms Provincial Gallery. During her residency at Landfall, Cecil conducted a linocut workshop focusing on some of Rockwell Kent's ealier work.
Scott Walden, 2005 –The Rooms Partnership- Author of Places Lost: in Search of Newfoundland’s Resettled Communities, Scott is originally from Ontario but now lives in New York and spends his summers in Newfoundland at Lower Island Cove. He has a PhD in philosophy from the City University of New York and has taught both at Memorial and New York Universities. He was Landfall’s first artist-in-residence and is currently at work on documenting the Newfoundland Railway and the Newfoundland portion of the Trans-Canadian Highway. Scott's many phographs of Kent Cottage have graced Trust publications. Thank you, Scott!