Fink Talks Mildred’s Lane Experience

This summer, Shoshana Fink ’22, MFA, traveled to Mildred’s Lane, located in the Pennsylvania woods on the Upper Delaware River. During this residency experience, fellows and practitioners apply tools and concepts of contemporary art to landscape, vernacular architecture, installation art, sculpture, history, archaeology, natural sciences, utopian studies, and creative domesticity. This program is just one of our growing number of Launch Opportunities for MFA students.

We caught up with Shoshana to learn more about her experience during the residency.

What were some of your goals going into your time there?

I wanted to have some time and space to begin doing some research for my thesis project, I wanted to attend the session “Silver-Iron-Light” which introduced me to making tintypes, ambrotypes, and cyanotypes. I also wanted to expand my artistic network. During my two weeks at Mildred’s Lane, I feel I achieved all three goals! Plus I had the time to shoot my own photographs.

What did your average day look like during the residency?

I was usually up by 7:30, we would trickle into the main house for breakfast, and then the session usually began around 10 am. Some mornings we did yoga before breakfast lead by Rachel Schmoker, who was one of the fellows. The session tended to be more structured in the morning, and after lunch, we worked more independently (though the instructor, Noah Doley was always available if we had a question). That said, we did have a few artist talks and one curator presentation in the afternoon.

Since Mildred’s Lane operates on the philosophy of “generously” and “community,” there were daily tasks we volunteered to do to contribute (signup was in the morning). So I usually did those in the later afternoon. Dinner was always cooked collaboratively by the fellows. After dinner, we often had artist presentations and fire behind the main house. One evening we went to an art opening at the gallery in Narrowsburg, NY run by Mildred’s Lane. Weekends were free. We went to the local farmer’s market, we went thrift shopping one Saturday, some of us went to yoga classes nearby, and one Sunday we went swimming in the Delaware River.

Can you speak about your cohort while you were there? How much contact did you have with them?

The cohort of fellows came from all over the country. Some were in grad school, like myself, but most were not. The age range was between 22 and 55. The fellows came from diverse disciplines, so there was a range of work. I had a lot of contact with everyone, as Mildred’s Lane operates on a communal premise. We tended to do things in groups, though the entire group was not always together. The only time full attendance was required was during artist presentations (understandably so). That said, there was occasionally room to do so things independently if one so desired.

For those who haven’t done residencies before, there can be a lot of questions about logistics, specifically when it comes to materials. Can you talk a little about how you transported your practice to a new location?

Mildred’s Lane was my first artist residency, so I kept things pretty simple. I only brought by Hasselblad, my light meter, and about 20 rolls of medium format film. So for me, transporting my practice was fairly simple. There was also WiFi in the main house, and the instructor brought a printer to make digital negatives for cyanotypes and digital positives for ambrotypes. For those fellows who required or desired more equipment, they transported it via car.

What were you inspired by during the residency program? Location? Peers?

All three were inspiring! Though for me, the location was really amazing. The residency is situated on a large, mostly wooded, property in NE Pennsylvania, right near the Delaware River. It is much and green, and the land has been stewarded with care. This has inspired some fellows to build installations that speak to our relationship to the natural environment, but it also means there is a plethora of green space. The most astounding piece of art was a pond that was planned, designed, and executed. It provided not only a safe place to swim, but was home to cattails, fish, and frogs. We also went on a forest hike one day, and this allowed us to further explore the woods and the stream nearby. There was just so much life there, and the place was rife with deer, coyotes, bears, birds, frogs, salamanders, honey bees, fireflies, and lots of interesting plant life.

Personally, I was also inspired by Morgan Puett’s collection (Morgan is the person who runs Morgan’s Lane, and is an accomplished artist in her own right). I took particular interest in a taxidermied fox she had recently acquired, and I carried mister fox around the property on a “walkabout.” I took photographs of him in the landscape, creating a story about what he might do and explore there if he were alive. I find taxidermy an interesting irony, somewhere between life and death, and I feel it reflects on a particular relationship to nature. Who knows? Perhaps it will turn into a future project.

What were your takeaways about your work, career, or practice?

For the last several years, and in various contexts, my work has explored the relationship between human beings and the landscape. This experience both reiterated that commitment and gave me the mental space to think about new ideas and new ways of incorporating that interest into my practice.

Being my first, this experience allowed me to see why these opportunities and experiences are so important to creatives! I am now hooked, and I will definitely seek out residency programs going forward. Indeed, I am deeply grateful for the support from the MFA program at MCAD for giving me this chance!

How can people see more of your work?

You can see more of my work on my Instagram, Instagram.com/shoshanafink, and my website, shoshanafink.com.

Shoshana Fink '22, "Summer Solstice Sunrise"

Shoshana Fink '22, "The Nest"

Shoshana Fink '22, "After the Storm"

Shoshana Fink '22, "Summer Solstice Dawn"