She's inviting anyone with a creative practice, even if those who don't think of themselves as artists yet, to spend the summer by the dunes in Elberta, a town she calls a “creative nook” in Michigan.
The program is open to artists from anywhere in the country, urban or rural.
Gregory asks participants to pay $20 a day to cover utilities but is also willing to waive that fee if the cost is a barrier.
IPR’s Claire Keenan-Kurgan spoke with her about what makes the spot a special place for creativity.
Listen to the interview with the audio player at the top of this story. Read a transcript of the interview here:
CLAIRE KEENAN-KURGAN, Interlochen Public Radio: How did you decide to start an artist residency in Elberta?
KELLY GREGORY, Sawbill Surf Club: Myself, being an artist, having a lot of friends who are artists, I think just having space and time for people to work on their personal practice — I myself have found very important, and one of the persons that I started the residency with, Mary Welcome, she's the navigator of the residency, and she's helped start over 15 residencies around the world. So she's a collaborator of mine, and she really helped this vision of the artist residency.
KEENAN-KURGAN: You recently put out a call for artists. Can you tell us more about that, and what are you looking for in applications?
GREGORY: It really is open, and I want this residency to be a low-barrier residency. You don't have to be a high-brow artist to get in. It's about allowing people to expand their creative practice, whatever that might be. You could be a painter, you could be a sailor, you could be someone that doesn't think that you're an artist and those people are encouraged as well, because I think we're all creative in a certain way, and so I want this to really be an open and an inclusive residency for people right now.
As the years go by, we might have more themes for the artists that we're looking for, but right now, it really is open to whoever wants to spend some deep time on Michigan's little perfect pinky finger.
KEENAN-KURGAN: For people who aren't from northern Michigan, what would be your pitch for coming to Elberta? Why is this a good place to do an artist residency?
GREGORY: Why here? That's the best question. The shifting sand dunes, the blues, the colors are just so amazing. The turquoise. You know, people stand on the edge of Lake Michigan and say, "This is a lake?"
There's just so much creative energy that's embedded all throughout the region — with Gwen Frostic, one of my favorite printmakers right down the road, always go visit her. The Cabbage Shed is a great place to get a Elberta-rita. (Don't have three, just have one.) It really is a special environment, and it's really, really beautiful. You can walk and have your own private view of 'ocean' Michigan from the top of a sand dune that's five minutes from the Sawbill. So really, I think it's just a beautiful landscape.
KEENAN-KURGAN: Can I ask, do you surf out in Elberta as well?
GREGORY: I do. I surf out in Elberta, and I do a lot of wing foiling out there too, which is it really is a good place for it.
KEENAN-KURGAN: Yeah, I was gonna ask, how is the surfing?
GREGORY: I mean, the surfing, you know, you can't compare it to a West Coast point break, but it gets pretty gnarly and pretty fun, especially when the colder months and the big wind swell comes in, and I love it. I love being in that turquoise water and catching a perfect Michigan wave.
