FREE | Every Friday: May 10 - October 11 | 5 PM - 6 PM
Join us throughout the residency season for our free public series of short and informal artist talks, readings, and presentations. We’ll learn about works-in-progress from our artists and scholars-in-residence with informative and inspiring presentations in all disciplines. This is a wonderful way to kick off your weekend! Bring a friend, all are welcome.
Location: Main Campus. Look for Craigardan Event sign at the end of Main Campus driveway (two “doors” west of the farm store, towards Keene). Google Maps Link
Emily Caris
Emily (E. A.) Caris is a queer writer, educator, and recent graduate of the MFA Program in Poetry at Rutgers University-Newark. Currently a high school teacher, Caris has also taught creative writing and literature for several universities and nonprofits, including the New England Literature Program, a cooperative education program based out of the University of Michigan, and juvenile justice organizations where she organized poetry workshops and readings. Her work has been recognized with fellowships and residencies from Kenyon Review, Fine Arts Work Center, Art Farm, and the Sitka Fellows Program. Her writing appears in Sweet Tree Review, Arkana, and elsewhere. An organizer of a queer basketball community and a frequent backpacker, she currently lives in Brooklyn with her partner and their mutt.
Christie Gardiner
Christie Gardiner is an award-winning author, poet, writer, and performer. Her literary oeuvre includes four ecumenical books (one, currently in its ninth printing), four anthologies, journal publications, booklets, articles, and the writing of her own videocast/podcast. Additionally, Christie has made numerous appearances as a regular contributor to local media, has cohosted two successful podcasts, has performed on stages across the United States, and serves as a facilitator of writing retreats for women. She works in poetry acquisition for Inscape literary journal and holds a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Utah Valley University. Christie’s current focus is poetry and creative nonfiction that explores the intersection of spirituality, nature, trauma, and healing. Recent and upcoming publication credits include poems and essays in Humana Obscura, The Poetry of Travel, The Dewdrop, Wild Greens Magazine, Reverie Literary Magazine, Wild Roof Journal, and Inscape Journal Christie has received generous support from Craigardan’s Interdisciplinary Residency Program in 2024, New York Writers Institute in 2023, Utah’s Best in State Nonfiction award in 2020, the Ivory Futures Award 2022-2023 and the Capitol Reef National Park Field Station in 2023.
Beth Reitmeyer
Beth Reitmeyer is a visual artist who likes to make people happy with her colorful installations. Her work investigates landscapes and the joy of unexpected yet beautiful spaces and places that are discovered as one explores the land and structures within it: clouds, rivers, caves, geodes, and stars. These environments allow viewers to explore the land and get to know one another in a more profound way, providing a space for renewal and hope for persevering.
Beth attended Northwestern University (MFA), The School of the Art Institute (Post Baccalaureate program), and Pennsylvania State University (BFA). Her work has recently been exhibited at the First Art Museum, Nashville; ChaShaMa, New York; The Elizabeth Foundation, New York; OZ Arts, Nashville; 1708 Gallery/Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA; FIGMENT, Chicago; The Downing Museum, Bowling Green, KY; Kindling Arts Festival, Nashville; Zg Gallery, Chicago. Beth has been an artist-in-residence at The Studios at MASS MoCA, ChaNorth, Pine Plains, NY, the Sam & Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts, New Berlin, NY; The Ragdale Foundation, Lake Forest, IL, Mineral House Media, and CONVERGE, Nashville, TN. Recently awards include the Tanne Foundation award and grants from the Metro Nashville Arts Commission/National Endowment for the Arts.
Holly Friesen
Holly Friesen was born in Saskatchewan, studied Visual Arts at John Abbott College in Montreal and painting at York University in Toronto. After many years of travel and study she settled in Mont-Tremblant, QC and opened ArtBeat Studio where she painted and taught for 15 years. Four summer seasons saw Holly as artistic director and curator of The Art Barn in Mont-Tremblant. In 2010 she was curator and project manager of Ateliers du Village, an artist run gallery in Mont-Tremblant village. For three years she worked as the Montreal curator for the daily online art auction ArtBomb which featured Canadian artists and their artwork. The artist’s current studio is based out of Montreal QC and her paintings are collected internationally as part of both corporate and private collections. Holly’s passion is painting vibrant landscapes from the inside out while collaborating with other artists to make art more visible in our everyday world.