Ever wonder what it means to be an artist? Sometimes intimidated by art? Believe that you’re not “artistic”? Or maybe you’re an artistic genius? Regardless, come on out to beautiful Belknap woods to chuck those conceptions out the window and dive into the playful and wonderfully unconventional world of Andy Goldsworthy. Andy, an enigmatic bloke hailing from Scotland, challenges traditional art mediums and creates site-specific constructions using found natural materials - ice, snow, sticks, rocks, leaves, moss. As we explore Belknap woods, we’ll make our own Goldsworthy style creations and discover new frames to view the natural world through. Bring a camera to capture a souvenir of your work since we will not be removing any material from the forest - part of the magic of these creations is that they remain in place and eventually fade back into the forest floor.
Folks should plan to arrive at the Squam Lakes Association (SLA) at 12:45pm on Sunday, January 26th to meet Lakes Region Conservation Corps (LRCC) member, Elijah Schumacher who will be leading the day’s activities. We will begin by looking at some of Andy Goldsworthy’s work and talking about what his style of art could look like at Belknap woods. Parking is limited at Belknap, so we’ll carpool over and spend about an hour creating our own nature artwork. Belknap is a particularly personable and engaging plot of woods with varying landscapes to turn to for inspiration and the free-style format of Goldsworthy style art is great for kids! Snow and ice sculptures, twig houses, and cairns are all fun ways to engage with the natural world and families are encouraged to attend!
Please be sure to bring lots of warm clothes, extra gloves, and hand warmers. A thermos of something hot and some snacks would probably be a good idea as well. After an hour of art/play/artistic endeavors, we will return to SLA for hot chocolate, a discussion of the day, and to show off snapshots of our artwork. We’ll wrap up by 3:00pm and folks are welcome to stay for as long or as little as they wish. We hope to see you there!
What to Bring:
Participants should bring extra layers that can be taken off/added on to stay warm and dry, raingear, a hat, an extra pair of socks, any sort of medication you may need, hiking boots, snowshoes or microspikes (dependent on conditions), snacks & lunch, and plenty of water. The SLA can provide snowshoes for up to six participants.
Audience:
This program is open to all ages capable of hiking and being out in winter conditions for an exteded period of time. Children should be accompanied by an adult.
Location:
Meet at the Squam Lakes Association and carpool to Belknap Woods. SLA is located at 534 US Rt. 3 in Holderness.
Registration:
Registration is required. Space is limited to 12 people. Register here: https://www.squamlakes.org/2020-winter-adventure-ecology-registration#overlay-context=2019-fall-adventure-ecology-registration
This Week's Guide:
I’m Elijah, a native of the Green Mountain State next door, where I spent my childhood jumping off of rocks and climbing the tallest trees I could find. After wanderings in Iowa, Hawai’i and Oregon, I’m excited to again be surrounded by snow and granite and to have the privilege of sharing the mystery and wonder of the outdoors with folks here in New Hampshire. I’m a fan of snowboarding, kayaking, interpreting the stories of nature, and finding the artistic side of everyday life.