Fresh Milk XIX Photos

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Fresh Milk invites you to take a look at some photos from our recent public event FRESH MILK XIX, which took place on Monday, June 27, 2016.

The event featured Fijian-Australian artist Torika Bolatagici and Barbadian artist Anisah Wood, who were in residence at Fresh Milk for the month of June. Torika spoke about both her own work and that of a selection of Pacific artists in a talk titled ‘Seeing the Black Pacific‘. Anisah – the winner of the 2016 ‘My Time’ Local Artist Residency – made a presentation about her practice and residency experience, as well engaging in an open discussion with Torika about her work.

Thanks so much to our photographer Dondré Trotman for these images!

Renelde Headley’s Emerging Director Residency – Week 1 Blog Post

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The first resident in the inaugural Emerging Directors Residency – a collaboration between Fresh Milk and the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) – Renelde Headley writes about her first week on the platform. She has begun her stint in this programme by taking in her new surroundings, exploring the material in the Colleen Lewis Reading Room, and enjoying being in the company of creative practitioners from other fields. Read more below:

My first week at Fresh Milk has been a welcomed respite from the hustle and bustle of the everyday. It was extremely encouraging to be in the company of fellow artists doing their art while, most importantly, doing my own. My view this week has been mostly of the Colleen Lewis Reading Room, which I must say is a very “bad” view to have, as I spent most of the week reading and perusing the library!

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As I would sit and read a sampling of the books on culture and race as well as on theatre practice and directing styles, I’d often be able to look up and see Torika reading or tapping away at her computer and Anisah bent over her drawings and spy Katherine through the window working on the deck. Amidst working on our individual projects, the four of us would stop to have little conversations where we’d pick each other’s brains about various topics or just get to know each other a little better. This was very encouraging for me because it allowed me to think outside the confines of my field since they are all visual/fine artists.

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ncf mark rgb2This project is a collaborative initiative, funded by the NCF Barbados

Anisah Wood’s Residency – Week 3 Blog Post

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Resident artist in the 2016 ‘My Time’ Local Residency Programme, Anisah Wood, writes about her third week on the Fresh Milk platform. While questioning her future as a working artist and being faced with professional decisions, Anisah was able to gain inspiration from a session of her Quid Pro Quo skills exchange programme led by Akhaji Zakiya about creative business practices, as well as observing the current resident in the collaborative National Cultural Foundation & Fresh Milk Emerging Directors Residency programme, Renelde Headley. Read more below:

Week 3 flew by leaving only fragments for contemplation. Much of these scattered pieces revolved around the possibilities for my next step. It could be that it finally dawned upon me that I have only one week remaining in this residency, or maybe it was the looming deadline to apply for a teaching position. But then again, do I really want to teach within the governmental system? Furthermore, how will I balance a productive artistic career while working any 9-5 job? Or will my young artistic career fall onto the back-burner and be reduced to a thing of the past? Nah, I don’t think so. I’m determined to continue. And if I don’t, I humbly ask you, reader, to kindly remind me of this testimonial.

Sheena Weekes, Akhaji Zakiya, Anisah Wood and Torika Bolatagici (and baby Kamasi!), participants in the Quid Pro Quo Skills Exchange Programme
Launch of the NCF and Fresh Milk collaborative Emerging Directors Residency

Moreover Akhaji provided some timely suggestions during her Quid Pro Quo session. She kindly gave us the opportunity to list our concerns and potential challenges and provided ways in which these can be countered. It was definitely the encouragement that I needed to go forth and conquer. I also received further encouragement observing Renelde, a recent addition to the residents, take on the 2 week Emerging Directors Residency. It was so great being able to converse with someone within another aspect of the artistic sector and to observe their process.

Renelde Headley, Katherine Kennedy and Anisah Wood

Now I’m about to enter my final week. I can already tell its going to be hectic with a public presentation in addition to the final Quid Pro Quo experience back to back. Nevertheless I will savor these last days at Fresh Milk.

Torika Bolatagici’s Residency – Week 3 Blog Post

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Fijian-Australian artist Torika Bolatagici writes about the third week of her Fresh Milk residency. Things become increasingly busy as her time in Barbados goes on, with a number of studio visits, presentations and general research of the island’s history and environment providing her with a wealth of information – but leaving her with the feeling there will be much more to discover beyond the residency period! Read more below:

The pace really started to intensify last week and I started to feel the pressure of being half way through the residency as I juggled writing, presentation preparation meetings with artists and other appointments around the island.. I am really feeling like I will be leaving with unfinished business…

Monday was a full day that started with a press launch for the ‘Emerging Directors Programme’ which is an initiative between the National Cultural Foundation Barbados and Fresh Milk. It was wonderful to see all Barbadian print and TV media covering the launch and to hear the inaugural recipients, Matthew Murrell and Renelde Headley discussing their projects. I also loved meeting Andrea Wells (Chief Cultural Officer, NCF) and Amanda Cumberbatch (Cultural Officer, Theatre Arts, NCF). I have loved getting to know Renelde this week and look forward to seeing her project unfold.

Following the NCF launch, I met with Barbadian curator and scholar Natalie McGuire to discuss a forthcoming collaborative project and to visit the Barbados Museum. At the museum I was interested to discover more about Barbados history and botany and was surprised to see that Fiji was mentioned in the section about Sea Island cotton. This visit sparked my interest in visiting the last remaining sugar factory here, but I hear that visiting hours can be a bit haphazard, so we’ll see how we go.

Monday afternoon was perhaps one of the most surreal experiences I have had so far, as we were lucky enough to visit Frank Rickwood’s collection of Papua New Guinean artifacts at his Colleton Estate. I am still processing the breadth and significance of his collection and what it means to find such culturally important items so hidden away and so far from Papua New Guinea. The impact of visiting the Colleton Great House has not yet left me, especially having learned of John Colleton’s role in the movement of African slaves from Barbados to Carolina in the 17th Century.

The remainder of week 3 was filled with inspiring meetings with Barbadian artists and scholars Versia Harris, Katherine Kennedy, Llanor Alleyne, Mark King and Therese Hadchity – each of them giving me an insight into their research, practice and artistic journey and the broader creative culture of Barbados. An enriching way to finish my third week here.

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This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

Fresh Talk: Papo Colo

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Fresh Milk and Fresh Art International are collaborating to present Fresh Talk: Caribbean, a series of podcasts about creativity in the 21st century with a Caribbean focus.

This week’s episode features Papo Colo, a Puerto Rican born artist who founded Exit Art, a dynamic nonprofit contemporary art center, with his partner, the late Jeanette Ingberman. Their work as artists and activists has made a tremendous impact on the art scene in New York City since 1982.

Click here to listen to the full podcast.

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About Fresh Art International & Fresh Talk:

Mission: To inform and inspire a world of followers, Fresh Art International’s team shares conversations, commentary, news, and views about contemporary art.

Launched in October 2011, Fresh Art International is an evolving independent media outlet with a global point of view. Our website is the virtual platform for Fresh Talk: Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century, our signature audio podcast. The site welcomes up to 3,000 monthly visitors. Averaging more than 9,000 feed hits monthly, we welcome new friends and followers every day: Facebook (3,000+ Likes and Friends) and Twitter (5,000+ Followers).

For Fresh Talk, independent curator Cathy Byrd meets with contemporary artists, curators, designers, architects, composers, writers, filmmakers and other cultural producers. Listen to conversations directly on this website, download episodes, or subscribe to the series on iTunes and Stitcher. Fresh Talk is also accessible through Public Radio Exchange at prx.org.