Purpose: provide the quiet and sacred time and space for artists, writers, musicians and performers of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment to focus, create, advance or complete their work. We use the word “artist” broadly to include those working in visual, literary and performing arts, as well as individuals whose work doesn’t fit neatly into one of those categories.
Overview: Residencies occur for three to four consecutive weeks during the summer months in the hermitage of Holy Wisdom Monastery. The dates will be determined by the guest services staff the year prior. The rent and meals are included in the residency. Residents must arrange for their own transportation to and from the monastery, any offsite travel during their stay and any incidental costs during the residency.
History: The Vicky Tzoumerka Knoedler (1941-2022) Artist in Residency Program was created by Bill Knoedler in partnership with Holy Wisdom Monastery to honor his late wife, Vicky, a dancer and artist who studied music composition, voice and dance. Vicky founded the Mesoghios Dance Troupe, a Greek folk Dance performance troupe and also helped to organize the International Festival at the Madison Overture Center. She also composed music based on Greek mythology that continues to be choreographed and performed by Kanopy Dance Company. Vicky was born with a loving and creative spirit and touched many lives through her art, music and performance. This residency honors her spirit by allowing for the sacred space and time that artists need in order to create and offer their gifts to the world.
Accommodations: Artists stay at the monastery’s hermitage, which includes a living room, kitchen, bedroom (with one queen bed), bath, deck, air conditioning and parking. There is no internet connection in the hermitage, but hermitage guests may connect to the wifi in the monastery building or retreat and guest house. Laundry facilities are available for hermitage guests. Hermitage guests may cook their own purchased meals, or join in community meals lovingly prepared by our culinary team.
Meals: Our chef makes lunch and dinner Tues – Sat using the commercial kitchen and with the support of the culinary team, onsite. Breakfast can be found daily in an ala cart fashion in the retreat and guest house. Chef Felipe Saint-Martin is happy to accommodate dietary restrictions and is committed to carrying out the monastery’s mission to care for the earth by cooking from the sisters’ gardens and buying from local farmers whenever possible.
Workspaces: The full hermitage and other public workspaces at the monastery are available to the artist, including the library, gathering areas and cafeterias/dining areas. The artist may work with the guest services staff to reserve additional workspaces if needed, but additional fees may apply.
Location: Holy Wisdom Monastery is a community of communities originally founded by a group/ community of sisters and continues to honor the values and spirit of St. Benedict. The monastery is located near Madison, Wisconsin, a vibrant city with a plethora of lakes, parks, miles of bike trails, farmers’ markets, incredible restaurant and food culture, festivals and more. Prayer, hospitality, justice and care for the earth form the heart of the communities of Holy Wisdom. The peaceful setting is on 190 acres of restored prairie and oak savana, a retreat and guest house and a ‘green’ monastery building.
Engagement: As part of the Vicky Tzoumerka Knoedler Artist in Residence, the artist is expected to host one public event during their stay, such as a workshop, reading, talk, performance, or art show.
Application Process:
Holy Wisdom Monastery begins accepting applications on December 15th of each year. Applications must be received in full by March 1, there will not be deadline exceptions. Artists will be notified of the selection by April 15th of each year.
Selection Process
A selection committee comprised of local artists and members of the Holy Wisdom Program Team will select from the pool of applicants. Selections will be made on the basis of merit and assessment as to how their work can advance the organization’s mission of working in the Benedictine spirit to care for the earth, provide hospitality, prayer and/or justice in the spirit of Vicky Tzoumerka Knoedler.
Comments 1
My Mom was a brilliant and accomplished artist who was no stranger to enhancing beauty by all means, immediately engaging her significant ‘Artist’s Eye’ to create a magnificent celebration out of seemingly ordinary items! She was infamous for stopping anywhere to pick up what most would consider ‘junk’ and fashion it into an ingenious display of remarkable beauty and touching intent.
In homage to her Dutch immigrant mother, who at the turn of the 20th century, was a seamstress in NYC, mom collected discarded dress forms of every, well, form. Some were body forms of linen, some of metal, some she created herself out of chicken wire. She painted some with brilliant color, and some with subdued hues. She printed some of her own material designs and shaped that onto several of the forms. She created soft sculpture ‘Listeners’ and had them cascading from the ‘chicken wire’ dress form she made as the listeners to the form, which itself was the “Story Teller.” She displayed them in a gallery in the SoHo section of NYC. The title she gave to the display was “Stages of Grace.” Her name was, you guessed it, Grace.
Blind in one eye, widowed at 45, with five children, she converted her hobby as an artist and made it her full time Job done with Joy, Fervor, Ingenuity, Intensity, with “no holds barred.” After coaching and encouraging, each one of her ‘brood’ through college she herself went to Paterson State University in NJ and achieved a BA and MA in art and then taught at the University.
May Mom’s Spirit enfold Vicky Tzoumerka in the mysterious, and invisible way that creative spirits do, to inspire and support the wonderful creativity of Vicky’s heart, mind and soul. Namaste… Dennis Crowley