Northwest Passage welcomes Minneapolis-based theater artist Chris Lutter-Gardella, noted for his work in Burnett County, as its July Artist-in-Residence.
Chris designed and lead the Jordan Buck Community Art Project to celebrate the centennial of that national record-holding whitetail in August of 2014. In 2015 and 2016, he lead students creating the Siren Dragon mascot and the Webster Centennial Sunfish art project.
The Wisconsin native specializes in designing projects using industrial materials that would typically be discarded. He emphasizes eco-consciousness and resourcefulness, explaining “As a community educator and artist-in-residence, I engage community members in re-purposing various ‘waste materials’ into performable artworks, while deepening their connections to the Earth and to one another.”
Chris hopes to further expand on the work of former Artist in Residence, Cait Irwin, with symbols and metaphors. He plans to use water as the main symbolic focus and have the kids explore what that means to them.
In addition to Chris’ residency, he manages and directs Puppet Farm Arts, a nonprofit organization that centers around “teaching artistic improvisation while integrating the repurposing of waste-stream material into imaginative inventions for “public-square community theater.””
Over the past two years, Northwest Passage has hosted many artists with skill sets ranging from sculpture, drawing, music, photography and much more. Inviting artists to the Passage campus raises the caliber of treatment that Northwest Passage can offer.
The Artist in Residence program is just one program that sets Passage apart from other mental health treatment centers. Incorporating the Artist in Residence program builds a warm, immersive atmosphere that contrasts the typical sterile environment of a hospital setting.
By doing this, the residents can forget about the mental health stigma and truly focus on their recovery. Since 1978, Northwest Passage’s mission has been to restore hope through innovative health services for children and families.
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