Prairie Editions | 2019

woven palm raffia vessel by Monica Hofstadter | photo: Abigail Doan

Several months have passed since my May artist residency at The Jennings Hotel in Joseph, Oregon, but the slower summer tempo has allowed for some reflection on my time out west and the documentation of materials and project ideas leading up to my stay and the days thereafter.

fusing ideas + materials for the prairie vessel and Walking Libraries artifacts

Walking Libraries artifacts documented in room 4 at The Jennings Hotel

My idea to commission the above prairie vessel from Brooklyn artist/designer, Monica Hofstadter, proved to be an ideal way to further my Walking Libraries investigations.

Monica offered brilliant ideas re: the creation of a hand-woven vessel (wearable art object) that was to help me store gathered materials while out on the prairie or visiting ghost towns.

We looked closely at tule mat weavings and cordage methods, storage vessels and baskets from native traditions in the region, as well as delving into Monica's previous collections and designs highlighting tactile experiments and soft forms. Our final solution for this edition was a distillation of/homage to these sources, and also the embodiment of a dialogue between creatives and places.

Abigail Doan | residency workspace at The Jennings Hotel

For more information on Monica Hofstadter's work, visit her website and Instagram. 

Zumwalt Prairie | Artist Residency

Prairie Kit | Abigail Doan studio

I am excited to share that I will be traveling to Eastern Oregon in early May for a residency at The Jennings Hotel. This opportunity will allow me to further my environmental documentation project, Walking Libraries, as well as survey the region's Zumwalt Prairie.

In preparation for these travels, I am creating a kit of materials that will be used during walking excursions on the prairie as well as for future grassland and regional terrain editions. 

construction of a tule mat via Primitive Ways

Research for my trip has included tule mat weaving history and methods, 'prairie queen' quilt patterns, agricultural and traditional crafting methods/materials of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) people, studies on what constitutes an intact or sustainable prairie system, like the Zumwalt, and writings by author, Marcy Houle. Her book, The Prairie Keepers: Secrets of the Zumwalt, exquisitely and often humorously, describes the blend of interwoven local characters and the unique plant and animal species that make up the prairie ecosystem.

I wanted to send a special thanks in advance to The Jennings Hotel, as their artist residency program coupled with the spirit of the Prairie Mountain Folk School has inspired me to look beyond my usual methods for investigating the spirit of place and site specific histories.