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Alchemy Artist Residency
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Table Settings is an installation comprised of an assortment of dinnerware found at yard sales and thrift stores. Some were also gifted to the artist from friends, family, and colleagues. Di Risio’s wall assemblage includes the first names of the seasonal workers who were part of the Table Settings suppers provided by Alchemy Artists Residency in Hillier from 2020 to 2022. Applying her interest in collection and collage, the wall assemblage reflects and honours members of the local community who tend to and care for the food grown in Prince Edward County.
About Alchemy Artist Residency
About Alchemy: A Residency for Inquiry and Community
Alchemy is an international artist-led residency exploring the common themes between artistic practice and the cooking and sharing of food in community settings. Since 2017, this residency has taken place in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada, during the Harvest Season.
We engage and encourage artists to continue work in progress or undertake new work inspired by the people and terroir of this dynamic rural agricultural setting. Participating artists committed to this project work in the county’s western edge from late spring through to the fall harvest season to create site-specific art and engage in community events and activities. Digital and in-person programming brings artists and the community together to explore, learn, create, and share lines of inquiry. Through community engagement and a commitment to a collaborative process, we collect, tell, and document multiple stories showcasing what compels people to continue to create, grow, farm, and live here.
Our 2023 programming builds on the success of these two projects under the Alchemy umbrella. Alchemy organizes and curates Field Notes, a month-long exhibition during Culture Days featuring site-specific projects by participating artists. As part of the Residency, Alchemy’s Table Settings initiative has planned, prepared, and provided more than 2500 suppers to acknowledge the hard work and significant contribution of farm and vineyard labourers, many of whom come from outside of Canada to harvest food and grapes enjoyed in the County and beyond.
Alchemy Prince Edward County 2023 is currently hosting seven visiting artists who are
- creating work for a virtual and site exhibition to be accessed through a self-directed public art tour during Field Notes 2023 at the end of the Fall Harvest Season
- paired to a site (farm/vineyard) and have access to land for site-specific work
- pursuing studio work in a local community public space
- contributing up to one day per week to our Table Settings supper program
Our 2023 plans adhere to all federal, provincial, and local safety precautions to keep both community members and participating artists safe.
Alchemy is facilitated by:
Claire M Tallarico, a visual artist and chef whose social practice explores how the everyday activities of art making and food sharing can contribute to the well-being of a community and its members.
Tonia Di Risio, a visual artist whose work has developed through ongoing investigations of the growing, making, preserving, celebrating, and sharing of food.
Visit Alchemy’s website to learn more.
See The WorkAlchemy Artists Residency
www.alchemyartistsresidency.com
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