PLAYA Arts and Science Residency Program

🏞️ PLAYA Arts and Science Residency Program: A Detailed Rundown

The PLAYA Arts and Science Residency Program is a non-profit organization that provides space, time, and community for artists and scientists to pursue creative inquiry at the intersection of their disciplines, with a focus on promoting positive change for the environment and the world.

Located in a remote, rural setting on the edge of the Great Basin near Summer Lake, Oregon, the environment itself is a central component of the residency. The name “PLAYA” (pronounced “ply-uh”) refers to the ephemeral dry lakebed that the facility is situated near.

⏳ History

• Founding (2009): PLAYA was co-founded by Julie and Bill, with Julie’s background in Geology and environmental justice, and Bill’s experience in building/design.

• Residency Program Launch (2011): The organization began offering its residency program to artists and scientists.

• Focus: For over a decade, PLAYA has supported new works and collaborative efforts in the arts and sciences, continually working to expand and deepen this interdisciplinary field.

• Land Acknowledgment: PLAYA resides on the ancestral homeland of the Yahooskin Paiute and Klamath tribes, and the organization commits to stewarding the land and learning from the natural environment.

🎯 Purpose and Mission

The central purpose of the PLAYA residency is to foster innovative thinking and creative solutions by bringing together the arts and sciences.

Key Mission and Vision:

• Mission: To nurture innovative thinking in the arts and sciences through its residency and workshop programs to promote dialogue and positive change in the environment and the world.

• Vision: To transform the world through creative inquiry by providing a model residency program that encourages investigation, immersion, and exploration in the arts and sciences.

• The Intersections: PLAYA operates on the belief that the influence of science and art on one another leads to powerful progress, as both share the common goal of trying to understand and describe the world. This synergy is seen as essential for maintaining a vibrant culture and biodiversity.

• Focus Areas: The work supported often addresses tough environmental issues like climate change and water scarcity, as well as challenging social issues like diversity and equality.

🌟 Impact and Offerings

PLAYA’s impact is achieved by providing a unique environment for residents and engaging with the local community.

For Residents:

• Time and Space: The residency offers the gift of time, space, solitude, and community, allowing creative individuals to focus intensely on their projects away from the pressures of daily life.

• Residency Options: They offer Awarded Residencies (juried, free of charge, typically 12 or 26 days) and Self-Directed Residencies (fee-based, shorter, without a formal application).

• The Community: Residents, who come from various fields (visual artists, writers, musicians, naturalists, biologists, designers, etc.), reside in a cohort, providing opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange, collaboration, and inspiration.

• Facilities: The campus includes fully equipped private cabins, live/work studios, research spaces, and a shared “Commons” building with a communal kitchen, dining area, and the only campus Wi-Fi access (to encourage focus in the cabins).

• The Landscape: The remote, high-desert setting on the edge of the Great Basin is considered a “living laboratory” that inspires self-directed inquiry and creative breakthroughs.

For the Community:

• Public Engagement: PLAYA engages the local Lake County community through free public programs, educational activities, workshops, and events like “PLAYA Presents,” which offer studio tours, readings, and presentations by the residents.

• Stewardship: The organization strives to be a role model for the larger community by operating in a mindful, resource-conscious manner and working to “live lightly on the land.”

In essence, PLAYA offers a retreat where the quietude of the high desert meets the intellectual urgency of global environmental and social challenges, specifically designed to spark innovative, cross-disciplinary responses.