Art and Design Students Intern at Sculpture Residency

This year Carly Greene and Jessica McCoy were chosen to intern at the Franconia Sculpture Park in Minneapolis. Offering a unique blend of work, residence and exhibition space since 1996, Franconia brings together local, national and international artists. The 20-acre park features a rotating collection of over 85 sculptures, and has established a leading reputation as an innovative sculpture park.

Carly, a fourth year student, and Jessica, a recent graduate, each spent several months living and working alongside internationally acclaimed sculptors and other students and graduates, learning new methods and materials, and making connections to the larger world of sculpture. They follow in the footsteps of Tanya Wood, a former student from Art and Design who completed a three part installation at Franconia in 2007. Her piece has since been permanently installed at State University of New York.

After attending Franconia himself as a Professional Artist, instructor Royden Mills began to encourage his students to apply as well. Under the leadership of Director John Hock, artists are given a place to live and work, and to engage with a dynamic community of artists, in exchange for their work to run and maintain the park. The park provides equipment to conduct larger, more ambitious works than might otherwise be possible for young artists. Jessica says: "Not only has Franconia offered access to twenty-foot gantries, cranes and forklifts but the sheer size of our work space is like nothing I have seen before." Another resource often in short supply is time: "Time is another quality inherent in the atmosphere here. The hefty amount of time has allowed me to expand the intricacies of my project. And for every artist, time to work on our craft is the most priceless gift you could get."

The value of interacting with other artists at various stages of their careers is another often scarce resource. Carly says of her experience, "What is really incredible about Franconia is the interaction between people with all different experiences and skill sets that you are exposed to when living at the park. The level of cooperation and consideration that the residents, interns, and staff have really makes the park an awesome place to share ideas and make connections between peers." The friendships forged during this experience can change an artist's practice, expanding their horizons well beyond Edmonton. Royden comments, "Franconia is at the very pulse of the U.S. sculpture scene and they are lead by an amazing human. John Hock is direct and honest and very caring for the potential of these students. He encourages self-reliance and commitment and I am of that attitude myself in regards to helping students grow into their potential."