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Jerry Wedge and Brian Unwin

Today, we started at The Umbrella Community Arts Center and met with the executive director, Jerry Wedge. We asked Jerry what he thinks about having an Artist In Residence (AIR) at Minuteman National Park (MMNP), and he offered, "It all starts with an idea." This comment is reminiscent of when we studied "revolutions", and we considered whether a revolution starts with an idea(s) or an action(s). In this case, Renee had the idea of hosting an AIR at MMNP a couple of years ago, and we feel privileged to be working alongside her to turn her idea into action! Are we embarking on a local revolution?

Jerry then went on to describe the 58 artists permanently in residence at The Umbrella, and how that community has developed a rotating Artist in Residence program that seeks artists just beginning their careers. This program was built on the idea that permanent artists and a visiting artist could nurture one another's creativity – the well-established artists could provide a community of support and knowledge to the visiting artist, and the visiting artist could bring a fresh perspective and energy to the community.

Jerry also described how The Umbrella builds partnerships with various groups in Concord ranging from other arts organizations, to local agricultural groups, to the Northeastern Correctional Center. With each of theses creative endeavors, long lasting relationships have been built, all of which serve to bring our complex community together through the arts. We are excited to think about ways that The Umbrella could help us to imagine and design an Artists in Residence program at Minuteman National Park.

After meeting with Jerry, we went out into MMNP to join photographer Brian Unwin at Hartnell Tavern. Brian is a professor of photography at Lesley University, and he firmly believes in experiential education, "Learn by doing," is his mantra.The photographic technology that Brian shared with us is the same technology that Ansel Adams used when he explored our National Parks in the early 1900's and created many iconic photographs of our American landscapes. It was an honor to learn more about Adams' process by tagging along with Brian in Minuteman National Park – complete with peak fall foliage as our backdrop!

Ansel Adams struggled in the traditional school classroom. His parents supported him in carving out a less conventional education, one in which being outdoors and making art was central to his learning experiences.

Furthermore, we offered Brian concepts from our interdisciplinary curriculum, in attempt to provide points of artistic inspiration. For example, we asked Brian to look at a poem by e.e. cummings that broke with conventional expectations and was therefore considered stylistically revolutionary. (Here is a link to that poem, link.) The poem, which describes a leaf falling, was perfect for our autumn walk. We also shared content we covered in science in which we looked at how previous glacial periods carved the topography and river system we find in the park today. We pointed out large glacial erratics beside the Battle Road, so that Brian could photograph them alongside stone walls composed of smaller rocks similarly brought here as glacial deposits. On previous walks our social studies instructor explained how English settlers who were attempting to clear the land for better farming, used stones to construct walls, foundations, and property lines. During the Revolutionary War, these larger glacial erratics and stone walls were used as protective shields against enemy fire. It is curious to consider how the glacial history of the landscape impacted warfare and the political history of our nation.

Brian, offered that traditional photography is inherently interdisciplinary, saying it is "math and science for people with feelings."


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