Unhinged in Fergus Falls

Scherenschnitte of the Kirkbride Administrative tower

In early October 2018, I started my two week Hinge Arts Residency which was made possible through Springboard for the arts based out of Fergus Falls MN. As part of the residency I stayed in a beautifully renovated apartment just off the grounds of the Kirkbride building in what used to be the male nurse's dormitory. I really like to describe the time that I spent there as a much needed "two week work-cation."

The intent of my residency was to create a new body of work but also during my time there, I had a chance to connect with some old friends and meet some new ones while I was at it. Fortunately, my job at High Plains Reader provides me the luxury of being able to work remotely so I'm not confined to my desk.

There was a light thunderstorm during the first night of my residency, I was curled up in my daybed, trying to fall asleep, listening to the falling rain, Between lightening flashes I could see the towers of the Kirkbride in the distance and I thought to myself, this is exactly where I should be right now and I vowed to re-watch "Girl Interrupted" when I got home,

"Girl Interrupted" came out in 1999 starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. It was one of my favorite movies in high school, and was based off a memoir of the same name written by Susanna Kaysen about her 18 month stay at a mental health facility in the 1960s. Though the only thing really comparable in my situation was the movie set and my fixation with vintage clothing. Though my experience really did boost my mental health. It feels really good to be encouraged to do what you love.

The residency program was launched in Spring 2015. The intent of Hinge Arts is to create opportunities and encourage artists and community members to connect and navigate themes of transition, and innovation inspired by the community’s 124 years of hosting a state mental institution. According to springboardforthearts.org, "The name 'Hinge' is inspired by a belief that artists play a key role in connecting our past with our future. The name is a deliberate response to the word 'unhinged' as it relates to mental illness."

The Kirkbride has often been referred to as “the castle on the hill,” and is also known as the former Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Facility. It has inspired, shocked, awed, and provided economic stability to the community of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, for well over a century,until the state closed its doors in 2005 and it has been empty ever since. It's hard to find anyone in Fergus who doesn't have some kind of a tie to the facility.

The building's namesake, Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride, was a founding member of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane (AMSAII) in the latter part of the 19th century. He was the mastermind and therefore namesake behind the “Kirkbride Plan” which involved moral treatments and stressed the importance of fresh air and natural light to the healing process of the patients housed within. He directly influenced the design of the asylums named after him.

Hinge Arts at the Kirkbride is a community development and artist residency program in Fergus Falls which activates cultural programming at or related to the historic Fergus Falls State Hospital, or the “Kirkbride Building.” The program is open to artists all over the United States and it provides housing, career counseling, 24 hour access to an amazing studio space below the Kaddatz Gallery, and a community full of folks that are more than willing to answer any questions you may have, whether you're asking for directions or help with your creative process

Cyanotype chemistry, contact frame, mortar, pestle and amber bottles.

Unfortunately, the facility is no longer open to the public but I had the opportunity to take one of the last public tours, through The Friends of the Kirkbride, a grassroots advocacy group that is dedicated to preserving the history of the facility.

As part of my proposal while applying for the residency I planned on creating a series of cyanotypes from photos that I took while on this last tour.

Prior to my proposal it had probably been a good three years since I had made a cyanotype. I didn't really have the time or space to fully set up but I had a head and hard drive full of images that needed to be transformed. It's not that I didn't think about it, Thankfully this opportunity provided me with both time and space to create. The studio provided through the residency is made possible through a collaboration between Springboard and the Kaddatz Gallery. Kaddatz is located in downtown Fergus Falls and provides exhibition space as well as a classroom space. They also host a weekly figure drawing session on Fridays. Which I modeled for both Fridays that I was there.

Kevin Thomas was the other resident artist. His apartment was on the floor below mine. He's a comic artist from Gig Harbor Washington and is a contributor to "The Rumpus." He does nine panel book reviews which are beautifully written and essentially poetry. We spent many a meal together and were partners in crime. I remember we met on a Friday and he asked if I was going to the figure drawing session, when I told him I was modeling he masked his surprise quite well and later commented that that was one hell of a way to meet someone.

The only drawback to my stay in Fergus was the fact that the weather was overcast. Yeah...yeah I know it's Minnesota in the Fall--what did I expect? The cyanotype process depends on UV light to develop--so timing was bad on my part. Thankfully a friend of mine referred me to John Cox, fellow print maker and educator. He was kind enough to lend me a full spectrum lamp and therefore saved my hide. I still have yet to exhibit the full series, though I do have plans to elaborate on the series but we'll save that for another blog.