Aumaine Rose Smith has been selected as Allerton’s Fall 2021 Artist In-Residence. Smith, a poet based in Cleveland, will spend two weeks living in the newly renovated Ice House on the Allerton estate.
Allerton’s In-Residence program, which began last November, offers artists and naturalists the opportunity to immerse themselves in their work and find inspiration from the Park. The program aims to support and highlight the meaningful work of creators and researchers, making their professions more accessible to the public, while bringing awareness to unique characteristics of Allerton.
Smith explained that she is eager to learn more about the history of Allerton and develop an understanding of the land it occupies, exploring questions about ownership, relationships, order, and freedom, which will inform her new work.
“I see Allerton as a place of constructed beauty, with its gardens, sculptures, and walking paths,” Smith said. It is also a place where attempts have been made to preserve the wild… While I think about tension between the ‘wild’ and ‘constructed’ in my own work, as well as the powers which often make such distinctions, I hope immersion in these aspects of Allerton’s landscape will expand my understanding of their constructs, as well as provoke questions about the implications of such distinctions.”
Smith also plans to spend time revising a chapbook manuscript, organizing a collaborative project with Ninth Letter magazine and the Education Justice Project, and giving a reading the evening of November 11 with local poets, fulfilling the Park’s requirement that residents host a program that involves the public in their work and process.
Staff notes that applications are currently being accepted for their Spring 2022 In-Residence Program, Rooting a Deeper Connection, which highlights and celebrates the arts and study of nature within Black and Latinx communities. Established in collaboration with the University of Illinois Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (OVCDEI), the program will focus on artistic and environmental innovation within the Black and Latinx communities, offering residencies to both artists and naturalists.
“This program is one step toward deepening and growing the connection between Allerton and the whole community it serves,” explained Mindy Brand, Assistant Director of Annual Fund and Programming. “Our hope is that by combining an artist and naturalist, residents will find connections between their unique disciplines and inspire each other in impactful ways, making both disciplines more accessible to the public.”
Interested individuals can find details and application information on the Allerton In-Residence page. The application deadline is October 4, 2021.
The Allerton In-Residence program was made possible through gifts from Joan and Peter Hood and Dana Brehm and Larry Baumann. For more information on supporting Allerton on our donation page.
