Painter Sarah Miska joined us at Paintrock Canyon Ranch this fall as part of the Ranchlands Collective Artist Residency. A city person, she explored a different way of life during her time at the ranch.

My heart has been cracked wide open during my stay at Paintrock. I’m a city person who came to attempt a brief rural life. I arrived open-minded, knowing I was a complete outsider. “I’m rooted, but I flow” was the Virgina Woolfe piece that kept coming to mind. I wanted to understand an approach to living and working that’s, quite frankly, completely foreign to my daily repertoire. In doing so, I came across a caring and hardworking community that deeply respects each other, the animals, and the land. Each a moving part of a whole. Ranchlands' motto, “Working Together to Live with the Land”, is something our nation and world could learn from.

In a world of division and violence, perhaps we all need a bit of softening and openness. Like many of us, I’ve been hardened over the years by trauma, loss and heartbreak, but by letting go and listening to others, whether we agree with each other or not, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of community.

“Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world." -bell hooks

At the conclusion of her residency, one of Sarah's original works, Tug Boat (pictured above, will be available for sale, with 50% of proceeds supporting Ranchlands Collective’s arts and education programs. If you're interested in this piece, please contact collective@ranchlands.com for more information.