I'm Into This Place

Plas Newyyd Arts Initative: Where Land Becomes Canvas -📍 Ridgefield, WA [Resharing]

• I'm Into This Place • Season 1 • Episode 35

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This Christmas week, we revisit one of our favorite places: Plas Newydd Farm Arts Initiative, the organization transforming a historic 1,600-acre property in Ridgefield, WA into a sanctuary where conservation meets creativity. This unique program welcomes artists to engage with the land through workshops, walks, and community events - creating both art and connection in this beautiful setting.

🗺️ Visit them at pnfarm.com/arts-initiative | Instagram | Facebook

👀 For pictures, video, and more, visit the episode page.

🎉 This episode also celebrates:
Jess Joner
Christopher Luna
Armin Tolentino
Susan Dingle
Ann Fleming 

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📍 I'm Into This Place is Clark County, Washington's arts, culture, and heritage podcast. We take you behind the scenes with the artists, makers, and community leaders shaping our local culture - from art and music to food, history, and heritage. Find more at imintothisplace.com.

Adriana:

Today I'm about two and a half miles north of the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, and I'm so far north that when I first drove out here, I didn't even realize that Ridgefield went this far, and I live here. And the reason I'm going out to the tippy top of Ridgefield is to visit the Place Neued Farm. Now, please forgive my absolutely terrible Welsh pronunciation, but Plasnewed means the new place or the new house or even the new mansion. But this farmhouse is anything but new. It was built in 1850. And even now you still kind of feel like you're stepping back into a time when there weren't any other houses for miles. The reason why I'm out on this 1600 acres of property is to visit with Abby Braithwaite. Abby's husband, David Morgan, runs this property. His family has owned it since the 1940s. And a few years ago, when Abby and David launched a conservation project to return the land back to a protected wetland, Abby came up with an idea to create the Place Newood Arts Initiative. She welcomes artists of all disciplines to come and engage with the land and to make art in relationship to what they experience here. So that could be a sculptor who finds a fallen log and makes a cool chainsaw sculpture out of it, or a poet who takes a walk in the forested part of the land and then writes a poem, or it might be a sound artist who records the birds, the trees, the water and makes a song or a soundscape out of it. Today I'm here visiting the Arts Initiative to talk to Abby about what she's building here and hear her invitation for all of us to come and hang out on this land too. We don't have to be professional artists to come and make something here. Today there's a workshop happening, taught by another I'm Into This Place podcast guest, Anne Fleming. I'm going to take some pictures of the artists at work and I'll share those on the episode page, which you can find a link to in the show notes. And you know, when you drive out this far, you really start to notice what's around you more. Everything gets a little quieter, a little slower, and maybe you can connect with a part of yourself or a part of your creativity that you didn't know was there, or that you've maybe ignored for a little while. I can't wait to talk to Abby about the roots of this property and her goal of creating a creative space for all of us to enjoy. Let's head on over. Welcome to I'm Into This Place. Your deep dive into the local arts, culture, and heritage of Clark County. From fabulous new restaurants to quirky art installations to the historical sites you never even knew to look for, we're inviting you along. Whether you're a Clark County connoisseur or just starting to get to know her, get ready to fall head over heels for this place we call home. I'm your host, Audriana Bear, and I'm into this place. Let's go. Hi, Abby. Thank you for welcoming me back to your beautiful space. Thank you for coming out to Ridgefield again. Yeah, I'm so excited to talk to you about this home we're sitting in, this land, and most importantly, all the cool things that you're working on. I told you the first time that I came out here, and I felt it again today driving up, that this journey that you take coming to this property is part of the experience of arriving here and being part of this land. And for me, it's so funny because I live in Ridgefield. I don't live very far from here, but the fact that you have to kind of go, you know, over the river and through the woods to get to this space, I noticed that my rhythm slowed down. I started driving a little slower. I was looking around at the trees and noticing a little creek and thinking, oh, this journey is part of entering into something that's a little bit different from how my day-to-day life usually feels. You know, you're going along the main road and then you turn off, and then suddenly you're like, oh, I'm entering this kind of canopy of trees and I'm going somewhere different and I'm doing it deliberately, right? You don't end up in Plast Nuid like accidentally. Right. Right. Or maybe if you were like very, very lost. But in order to find this place, you have to kind of know about it. So I'm a little bit blown up your spot, Abby.

Abby:

Hey, you know, one of my favorite things is sharing this place as well. So I'm happy to be bringing new people in.

Adriana:

Let's talk about this place. Okay. So here we are, we're on 1600 acres of land. And we're sitting in a very old house. Can you give us the, you know, quick recap of the last 300 years?

Abby:

I'll do my best. Uh, so the farm sits at the confluence of the Lewis and Columbia Rivers, uh, sort of north of downtown Ridgefield. One of our borders is the Wildlife Refuge, the Columbia River, the Lewis River, and Lake Rosanna behind us. So we're sort of at this very water-based place, which is beautiful. Because it's on these big rivers, it's been, I think, a pretty, for thousands of years, probably been a major throughway for the river people who, you know, ate of the river, lived on the river, um, and were of the river. So the Cowlets and the Chinook tribes both had presence here. The land was homesteaded in the 1850s by Columbia and Rosanna Lancaster and went through a variety of owners between then and when my husband, David's grandparents, Aubrey and Constance Morgan, bought it in the late 1930s. For the past 15 years, we've been working on a large-scale conservation project that will take a lot of the low-lying pasture land and turn it back into wetland and salmon habitat. What is that process like? So the best pasture on the farm is blocked off from the river by old levees that were built in the early 1900s. So they used to be wetlands and there used to be a lot of really natural water dynamics on this landscape over the course of the year. The waters would be up and would be down, there would be pieces of the woods that were flooded and pieces that were open. So the process is something of a rewilding will breach holes in those dikes and reopen um side channels for the salmon to move through and make it the change will be from sort of an open, manicured agricultural landscape to a more scrappy, scrubby wetland.

Adriana:

So when you and your husband moved up here and the conservation project was happening, you got this idea. Tell us what that was.

Abby:

A big part of the conservation project is taking scientific surveys of what the land is now, and then doing some engineering and some computer modeling and some brain modeling of what it's gonna look like post-conservation. So for about a decade, there was a whole team of scientists here collecting data about what the dirt was, where the rivers wanted to flow, where the rivers did flow, what animals were here, what plants were here. And I was watching this incredible story develop of the change that was gonna take place in the landscape. And I was also really curious about the fact that it's gonna take a tremendous amount of diesel power and non-conservation-y things to rewild this landscape. It's not like we stopped farming and that things happen in the right way. We have to do work and move dirt. And so there was sort of some interesting complexity and tension in the change that was gonna happen. It wasn't this like happy hippie process that was gonna happen on its own. And so I started to become interested in that story, interested in this data, and aware that me as one small person had I don't have the ability to tell that whole story by myself. And also my perspective isn't all that interesting. And so I came up with the idea of inviting other artists to come out and help create this sort of artistic aesthetic data set. Um, so we capture what the landscape looks like now, we come out while the construction is happening, and we come out in 30 years when this is a full, boisterous wetland landscape.

Adriana:

Yeah, I love that you put it as an aesthetic data set. So, what am I hearing now? What will I hear during construction? What will I hear in the future? Same thing with the visual, the all of the different senses are being engaged in. Then it's truly art in connection or art being inspired by the land and the nature that's here.

Abby:

And the science, because I think a lot of times science is othered, and you have to be a scientist to understand science. But if you give me the data that's in a spreadsheet in a graph or in a landscape painting, I'm gonna be able to engage in that in a different way. And so there's some really interesting, important science that's going to be happening here. And so being able to use the arts as a way to share with people who may not want to read this big fat binder full of science, but do want to understand what's happening here and do have a general interest, curiosity, question about what's happening, it gives more ways for people to engage who don't have the privilege of being out here as well. Right.

Adriana:

So that was this sort of spark of creating art and relationship to place. And that's really developed into this arts initiative where now people are making all kinds of work, not just related to this conservation project or this science, but related to all different aspects of being on this property. So, can you tell us a little bit about like how that's going and what people are up to?

Abby:

Sure. So I had my first big visioning meeting in January of 2020. 25 people came out, we toured the farm, we met the scientists who were doing the work, and we talked about how art might fit here. And I was ready to go. We had a plan for bringing in our first 12 residents who were gonna sort of capture that first picture of the landscape. At that point, we also thought the construction on the conservation work was gonna be starting within a year. So we felt an urgency and we were ready to go. And then there was this pandemic that happened, and the brakes were put on for many, many reasons. A couple things that came out of that that helped us be who we are now were that the process of construction slowed way down. So we didn't have the urgency to capture that first, what does this look like right now moment. The team of scientists that used to fill this house moved on to other places. And so all of a sudden there was space in the house to do something a little bit different. I didn't have a place to put an artist in residence before that would be expansive where they could really have room to work. And I just decided to invite people I knew to come teach things that they knew and invite other people I knew to come learn. And I think the first year I did eight workshops from Ukrainian egg dyeing to printmaking, beginner lino cut printmaking, poetry workshops have always been a part of it. The Clark County Poet Laureates have been a wonderful support. Christopher Luna and Armin Tolentino. Um, and I'm working now with Susan Dingle just to bring, you know, their charge is to bring the arts to the whole community. And so it's been a really nice fit to have them come out here and share what they do. It's become a community. It's become a really creative space. It's a space for beginner mind, is really welcome here. A lot of people, you know, teaching things they've never taught before, a lot of people coming to learn things that they've never done before. It's fun to just be a place of first for folks.

Adriana:

And most of the work that is made here is made intentionally with some kind of relationship to the surrounding environs.

Abby:

Yes. I ask the teachers to either overtly or more subtly, when they are designing whatever they're gonna bring here, to be in dialogue with the landscape. And so sometimes we're out doing landscape painting all weekend and have almost never come inside. Other times, you know, we've sort of done that same thing of going to write poetry in different spots around the farm. But other times we're just here, and maybe the theme is change. Maybe it's just because this house and land has such a strong presence that just by being here, the work that's being created here is in dialogue with the land.

Adriana:

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And I do think that you feel like the land is much more dominant than the human or the car or whatever, right? So even just if I was to sit down and write, sitting in this room, I'm looking out, I'm seeing the vistas, I'm seeing just an expanse of space.

Abby:

And you often can hear the eagles that play in the trees right above you, you know, or little songbirds and the daffodils. There's stuff right outside the windows that tell you where you are.

Adriana:

Yeah. You did a workshop recently that I thought was so cool, a pen making workshop. And when you described it to me, it checked so many different boxes for how somebody might relate to the environment while creating something. Will you tell us about that experience?

Abby:

So the pens were made from wood from the farm, elm and oak from the farm that has been curing in a barn for many years. And we took some planks to Lila, this wood artist, a sculptor from Portland, and she planed it up and realized it's absolutely beautiful wood. So the people that were making pens would be making a pen from a piece of farm wood. And then I've been dabbling in wild ink making. And so I invited an ink maker from up the Columbia Gorge to come and guide people through making botanical inks. Um, we did walnuts from the farm and oak galls from the farm, and then Molly brought in a whole slew of other stuff as well, and made flower ink and metal ink and sulfur and all kinds of fun stuff. And on day two, we brought in somebody to teach book arts, and we everybody left the weekend with two pens, two bottles of ink, and a journal or two. For me, it really feels like this amazing sort of signature event, no pun intended. But because, you know, there was this collaboration between the instructors creating the weekend. There was a collaboration with the land in terms of literally taking items from the landscape and bringing them inside to create art with them and then take them away. So the land was a participant, the teachers were a participant, the students, you know, they all came to learn, but they all were fascinating, interesting people who also had something to teach. And so the conversations over the course of the weekend were pretty amazing as people got to know each other and shared what they brought. That dive into working with the land, working in community, and just sort of bringing all of these different strands of our artistic and creative lives together was just super satisfying. What are some of the other ways that people can engage with this space? So we have the workshops. We average about a workshop a month. Um, and these are paid workshops. Um, I'm really committed to paying artists well. So I collaboratively create a ticket price that makes sure the artist is going to get paid for their time, that we can pay for, you know, feeding people. I started doing a monthly walk on the farm called Canopy Time. We meet one Friday a month and just walk on the farm and look at the birds. And sometimes people wander on their own and take photographs or stop and write a poem. Other times we stay together as a group. And then once a month, there's a drop-in writing circle. Up to 12 people come together. We eat soup and we write together. And then about four times a year, I've started doing, I call them open table drop-in events. They're free. People can come for an hour, they can come all day and just have another sort of free, accessible way to engage with the place. We've had our first gallery show of nine Clark County artists bringing work in and um having it on display here. What are you most looking forward to or what's your dream? So I feel like what I'm most excited for is to see what happens, to see which of these things that we're trying right now continue, um, which had their moment and we don't try again, and to see what I haven't thought of yet that wants to come forward here. Well, I'm ready for it to be more than just me and my ideas, um, and to see what happens when I bring more ideas, more minds to the table.

Adriana:

Abby, it's so exciting. And I think that, you know, as more folks in Clark County learn about this space and what you're building here, I'm so excited to see what develops. I'm so excited for myself selfishly to come and get to participate in some of these workshops. Yeah, I just think it's it's really, really cool.

Abby:

Yeah, and you know, I think another thing I'll say too is we've had Portland artists teach out here, but I've also really tried to reach the Clark County artists where I can because I know there's a lot of us in these hills out here and and in the downtowns as well that are doing real art and need real community to do that in. And I think, you know, it's a surprise to me how the community aspect of this has been so important to folks. Um, and people keep coming back. I love I'm still bringing new people in, and I hope, you know, peep as people get wind of this, new people come. And also I love it when people come back because that's what's gonna build this. I love it.

Adriana:

And speaking of new people, you have offered any new person who wants to come take a workshop, they can mention I'm into this place and get 10% off of their registration. There's a link to that in the show notes. Maybe I'll see you there. So, in just a minute, Abby, I'm gonna ask you my favorite question, which is is there an artist or a place that you are really excited about these days? But while you're thinking about that, I'll share with our listeners that as always, you can find pictures of everything we talked about today by visiting I'mIntothisplace.com, or you can just click on the episode page link in the show notes. While you're there, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter because that's where we tell you about upcoming events. If you like today's episode, please click the follow button and then text the episode to a friend. Word of mouth is the absolute best way for us to make sure that everyone has access to the local arts, culture, and heritage that makes our community thrive. So, Abby, tell me, who are you really into these days?

Abby:

My excitement for this moment is Jess Joner, who is a potter and photographer and arts space creator in Falaida. What she's doing is not completely dissimilar from what I'm doing, um, but it's really exciting. She's she's finding spaces and ways for artists to engage with each other and with her piece of land, she has a big old barn where she shows her work and invites people in for all kinds of fascinating ways of being with art. Um, and I'm just really excited to get to know her better and hope everybody checks her out. She's participated in open studio tours, she does occasional art markets. She's fabulous.

Adriana:

We will link to Jess in the show notes as well. And I have actually been to this barn. I went there first for uh Clark County Open Studios last year, and then I went again for their holiday market, and she and her whole family are artists making work out there. So, so, so cool. Abby, thank you so much for welcoming me again. I'm so excited for what you're building here. Thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate your time. I'm Into This Place is produced and hosted by me, Adriana Baer, editing by Chris Martin Studios. Special thanks today to Anne Fleming, who let us sit in on her workshop. Anne's got her own episode coming up, so keep an ear out for that. This episode was recorded on site at Plasnewed Farm Art Initiative. Find out more about us and them at I'mintothisplace.com. See you out there.

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Adriana Baer

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