The Brookline Arts Center is pleased to present its second annual Echo Trobridge Artist Residency featuring the work of Crislin Waldman and Erik Grau. The residency provides five weeks of artistic development and culminates with a three-week public exhibition in our unique gallery space. The residency runs from July 26 – September 20, 2019, and a public reception will be held at the BAC on Thursday, September 19 from 6:00-8: 00 pm at 86 Monmouth St., Brookline.
Grau and Waldman will use the residency to create site-specific installations using imagery of caves, crystals, and vegetation. The two plan on creating a canvas mural in the front gallery depicting a cave opening and surrounding imagined landscape. Inside the entrance of the gallery, a sculpted, arching cave opening will offer visitors an immersive experience. An additional cave structure will be constructed over the lower portion of the stairway as viewers walk to the second floor of the BAC. Both spaces will contain small sculptural artifacts such as cast crystals and plants. The upper level of the BAC will be used to highlight the commonalities of both artists’ work.
In addition to gallery viewing hours, Grau and Waldman will collaborate with the BAC to offer workshops for children ages 5-11. Grau and Waldmanwill use a literacy-rich center-based approach to teach students about the five most common types of caves culminating in the students creating their own cave dioramas. Grau’s background in early childhood education for diverse populations and differentiated instruction combined with Waldman’s experience as an art instructor will be put to good use leading workshops that incorporate the themes and techniques they use during their residency.
Grau studied sculpture at Carroll University before moving to Boston to pursue an MFA in sculpture at Boston University. In addition to visual art, Erik studied Applied Behavior Analysis and Education at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and works full time as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Boston Public Schools Kindergarten inclusion teacher. In 2019, he was named the Boston Public Schools Educator of the Year.
Waldman has explored a wide range of art-making processes that include film, digital media, installation, drawing, printmaking, and painting. She attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts before completing her MFA in painting at the Boston University School of Visual Art. She is a co-founder and member of MUSA Collective, an artist-run collective in Boston, where Erik is also a member.
The Echo Trobridge Artist Residency was named in honor of the BAC’s first artist in residence from 2014-2016. Trobridge was a ceramicist, teacher, and very dear friend. She used her time at the BAC to work on her craft, share her knowledge, and to learn from others.
Learn more on BAC’s website.
