"Ode to Hay Season and Making Hay"

I love hay season. It has arrived here in Northern NM with full force. Fields of the beautiful rolls and rectangular bales line the highway as we drive to Questa today. I feel a flutter of gratitude for and pride in the farmers, ranchers, balers, and knowledge-holders here in Northern NM and world-wide who are continuing this ancient tradition….

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Where have I been - you ask?

DREAMING PLACE: Marble Arch Caves Geopark

I've just returned from 40 days and 40 nights of “action research” and experiment above and below ground in a traveling residency at the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, Eire/Northern Ireland. (To locate the geopark on google maps click here.) Supported by Marble Arch Caves Geopark and funded by Arts Council England, DREAMING PLACE asks the question, “Does the land dream through us?”

During our "traveling residency" we camped at various sites throughout the Geopark and encountered an array of people, places and things which helped us to explore our three main focuses of the project: dúlra – ecosystem; dúchas– heritage; aisling – dream. We captured our experiences, ideas and insights both in sound with our trusty digital audio recorders and pen and ink through an evolving collaborative drawing. We also created a "DREAMING PLACE toolkit", which we plan to share in the form of a book - more details forthcoming.

Our field work at Marble Arch Caves Geopark is now complete, but there is still so much we want to share so Anna and I are still blogging! Visit our blog at www.dreamingplace.eu for daily audio, image and stories.

To give you a little background on the collaborative project: Anna Keleher and I met at Dartington College of Art in 2007 during our studies on the M.A. Arts and Ecology course, at which time we began our collaborative practice. When we finished our studies we vowed we would meet up again in Ireland one day to continue our collaboration and further research prehistoric ecologies. During our recent 40-day residency, we “made good” on our promise to each other.

Many thanks to all those who helped make DREAMING PLACE a success. We miss the people, places and things of MAC Geopark. We´ll be back! Our special thanks to Fermanagh Council officers Diane Henshaw and Rose Cremin, Geopark Manager Richard Watson and Education Director, Martina McGee of MAC Geopark, David Scott of Gortatole Activity Centre, Outland Arts and all the other wonderful people who gave us tea, lent us boats and shared their good craic with us.

Follow us on the DREAMING PLACE project blog as we bring our collaborative drawing into the public eye and transform our audio recordings into a three-part radio series.....

How Far From Home Are We? - Opens April 1st

“How Far From Home Are We?” An illustrated Radio Journey by Anna Keleher, Claire Coté and Rebecca Beinart

Opening Reception April 1, 6 – 8pm

Exhibition installed April 1 – 29, 2011 Harwood Art Center, 1114 7th St. NW, Albuquerque, NM Gallery Hours: Mon – Fri, 10 AM to 4 PM, and Fri Apr. 15th 6-8 PM

Making its debut in the United States, this exhibition is the collaborative outcome of a voyage in a small van from Totnes England to Helsinki Finland via the Baltic States and back through Scandinavia, across 16 borders, over 5,700 kilometers and all in seventeen days. On-site recordings and creative reflection are woven together to provide illuminating glimpses of a journey by land and sea. Collaborative pen and ink drawings created over bumpy roads and by the light of headlamps offer illustrated glimpses. Whittled tally-sticks provide a sculptural “account” of the expedition. Come and experience this intimate multi-sensory journey and join the collaboration through listening, smelling and drawing!

Dates pending for broadcasts of this radio journey on Sound Art Radio 102.5 fm, Totnes, England and KRZA Radio 88.7 fm , Alamosa CO. / Taos, NM. Check our website below of updates and live streaming opportunities!

Sounds clips, drawings and more info at: howfarfromhomearewe.com

'Sounds Surround' Sound Journeys Workshop

Harwood Art Center, 1114 7th St. NW, Albuquerque, NM Saturday, April 2, 10 am – 12 noon

Workshop Facilitator – Claire Coté Workshop is $15 - Preregistration Requested Morning tea and scones provided

The sounds surrounding us are an often neglected, but very important part of our perceptual experience of places and the world in general. This workshop provides guidance on deepening our listening in each place and how to bring soundscape awareness and sound journeys into our work. The workshop will include brief introductions to sound, listening and sound art as well as providing participants with experience-based listening exercises in and out of doors, to open our ears and minds to the sounds surrounding us.

“Sounds Surround” is open to all, but is especially geared towards artists, teachers, park rangers and interpretation specialists.

To register for the workshop please contact Claire Coté at 575-586-2362 or by email at email@clairecote.com.

‘Sounds Surround’ is presented in connection with “How Far From Home Are We?” an illustrated radio journey and a multi-sensory installation at the Harwood Center for the Arts. More information online at: howfarfromhomearewe.com