The October sun shone brightly on the PBF in the month of October, as writer Joey Massa and photographer and image maker Frances Bukovsky joined painter and illustrator Tom Manto for their month-long residencies. Manto stayed on for a second month past September, testing out a two-month residency program at the PBF.
On October 22, Bukovsky hosted a lumen making workshop, generously provided for by First Bank and the Marion Park Lewis Foundation for the Arts. Participants reflected on healing and ongoing health management as they used documents and images from their respective medical journeys to create art prints. Lumen making involves placing artifacts on light-sensitive paper and exposing it to the sun, then washing the page in a fixer chemical. The garden at the PBF provided the perfect backdrop for the workshop, as participants laid out items in the sunshine. At the end of the workshop, Bukovsky led a discussion, asking those in attendance how the workshop impacted their ability to process their conditions and medical experiences. Participants discussed the cognitive dissonance between what their bodies are going through and how their minds take longer to catch up.
Joey Massa, a Brooklyn-based writer and intimacy coordinator offered their skills in leading a community circle workshop. This facilitated session uses narrative storytelling to foster community in large groups and provide opportunities for connection and deeper conversation. While in Winchester, Massa shared their gift with AIDS Response Effort, Inc (ARE), a local non-profit that offers medical and support services for those living with HIV and AIDS, providing testing, housing services, and education and prevention. ARE also works to end the stigma around HIV, LGBTQ identity, and sexual health. According to director Katie Vance, staff enjoyed the session and had a lot of fun!
Manto prepared for an art show at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville, Virginia, continuing to find subject matter to paint and draw throughout the houses, collection, and grounds at the PBF. His work is available to purchase here. Sharp-eyed viewers familiar with the PBF might recognize the Yellow Music room in Dirty Mirror, the laundry room of the residency house and its distinctive blue light in Washing Machine Heart, the back staircase of 120 W Cork in Paintings and Windows, and the neighbor’s backyard structure in Clubhouse.
The PBF will look forward to keeping in touch with Massa, Bukovsky, and Manto and seeing what they do next!
Images above include photographs from Frances Bukovsky's workshop featuring people sitting at a table working with healthcare artifacts and photo-sensitive paper under trees, photo paper reacting on a pebbled path, a photo of Joey Massa, and two photos taken of works in progress in Tom Manto's studio.
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