Summer 2026 Visiting Artists in Residence
- Aug 25
- 3 min read
Updated: 7 hours ago
Kindred hosted three Visiting Artists at our Creative Residence program for two weeks in July.
Images of works in progress by Dr. Bryan Massey Sr., Libby Rowe, and Cara Lee Wade.
Dr. Bryan Massey Sr. - Wood Carving Workshop
Chair of the Department of Art & Design and a Professor of Art/Sculptor/Designer at the University of Central Arkansas, Conway.
This summer he and his wife, Delphine Massey, joined us at Kindred CRAFT to take a break from their busy lives and relax in the quiet natural environment here in Northern Vermont. Bryan offered a week-long Woodworking Workshop using a variety of carving tools including different types of hand and power tools. It was inspiring to watch him respond to the cherry logs and remove material to reveal the positive and negative shapes within the forms. As an experienced educator he was able to encourage participants to explore their ideas while helping overcome obstacles in the process. Crafting with Dr. Massey was both relaxing and invigorating!
"My work for years has been focused on creating interesting works of art that deal with social, political, cultural and spiritual issues. In my work, I want the viewer to experience the raw emotions that I experienced in the creative process whether it is stone, steel or cast metal. Often times the themes of my work reflect a narrative or memory of my past childhood and adulthood experiences combining my faith as I walk out my spiritual journey. My spiritual relationship plays a vital role in my creative process. I want my work to touch the viewer's spirit, soul, and body; allowing my work to record an incident, create a tangible form to feelings and give the viewer an innovative way of seeing materials in a different format. Each of my sculptures usually have the distinctive three marks present in some form or fashion representing the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Spirit, Soul and Body. I use a variety of materials in my work during my creative process; however, I am particular about what materials I use for each specific sculpture because I want that material to reflect what narrative I am trying to express to the viewer. The viewer's experience may totally be different than mine because they may see something entirely different in my work, and for me, that's okay."
Cara Lee Wade - Fossil Poetry: Further Investigation into Sustainable Artmaking
Assistant Professor, Photography at Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD.
Care Lee Wade received a Faculty Mini Grant from Salisbury University for a two week artist residency at Kindred CRAFT. She used her time here to focus on creating and experimenting with plant-based materials, natural pigments, and environmentally conscious emulsions in the creation of cameraless photography.
"Fossil Poetry explores how plants evoke a sense of place, not just as location, but as an ongoing relationship with humans. The residency’s integration of creative practice and ecological stewardship offers an ideal environment to expand this work materially and conceptually."
“My time at Kindred Craft Residency was all I hoped it would be. Over the two weeks, I found myself being incredibly productive in my art making in the residential cabin space as well as the surrounding area. At the same time, my experience was one of the most relaxing I've ever had at a residency. Our hosts were attentive when needed but also allowed us the space to isolate in our creativity. Trips into town for visits to an amazing pie cafe, a charming local distillery, and I cannot forget the icy “creamy” cone stand, rounded out our summer days."
Libby Rowe, paper collages
Professor, Art and Art History, School Director, Head of Photography at the University of Texas San Antonio.
"Libby Rowe is an artist working in photography, sculpture, interactive installation, and performance. Her artwork explores ideas of identity and belonging through self-definitions as informed by social and domestic constructs. Rowe explores the sociological, physiological and psychological aspects of femininity using image, object and installations. Rowe is interested in breaking from traditional presentation strategies for photographs to engage viewers in a more interactive experience as well as the role of the photographic image in relation to other media."
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