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Spotlight Reception for Cait Irwin

Jul 17, 2017

WEBSTER, WISCONSIN – June 30, 2017 Northwest Passage hosted Artist in Residence, Cait Irwin at the New Light Gallery to recognize her exclusive Northwood’s Collection and the work she has done with the Passage residents. This is a chance to see one-of-a-kind artwork made possible through a unique artist and student collaboration.

During a short presentation, Irwin will be discussing her own battle with mental health issues and how she learned to use art as a positive outlet. At age 14, she started writing in a personal journal. Which quickly transformed into her book titled, Conquering the Beast Within.

With a background in expressive arts, history with mental illness and a passion to share her story, Irwin was the ideal inaugural candidate to kick off the new Artist in Residence program back in the summer of 2016. This will be Irwin’s second summer spent at Schaefer Cabin in Webster, WI. She explains how working with others is a life calling for her, “Art has saved my life many times and I feel like it is my responsibility to pass on any coping skills I have learned along the way.”

Made possible through partnerships with St. Croix Valley Foundation and the National Park Service, the 2017 Artist in Residence program is a way for the Passage residents to express themselves through a creative medium. For many of the kids, it is the first time they are given the opportunity to explore sculpture, photography, poetry or musical instruments. When words fail, giving kids the tools to discover a different outlet can help them with their own understanding of their emotions.

An Interns Prospective: Adjusting to Life at Schaefer Cabin

Jun 29, 2017

  

The Challenges

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There is quite a bit of adjusting to do moving into Schaefer Cabin. Having spent the last four years living in a city, I’ve had to readjust to swarming bugs, ticks, and poison ivy. Those are constants when spending time outside unless there’s a breeze which feels amazing in early Wisconsin summer! The quiet and seclusion is also a big adjustment, though I’ve found it very refreshing and rejuvenating. I’m often falling asleep to the sounds of whippoorwills singing through the woods but I don’t mind it (and ear plugs are always an option). I do tend to feel a bit antsy with extended time out here because I enjoy city life so having a town about 30 minutes out gives me a little fix when I have to do grocery shopping or attend weekly meetings. Sharing a space with two strangers is, of course, it’s’ own adjustment as well, but the seclusion and lack of working Wi-Fi forces conversation that might happen less slowly in a typical setting with a million distractions.

The Positives

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The experience is once in a lifetime. I’ve never been in such a quiet setting surrounded by this kind of beauty for an extended amount of time. The river right down the path is a perfect escape, place for debriefing, a place for relaxing, inspiration, or a nature fix – whether I get in the river or just sit and watch the water and trees. I can also feel the cabin’s history through its structure and design and it is very spacious. I cannot imagine a better place for brainstorming and being naturally inspired to do art. I have already written three songs because of the surroundings and the time I’ve had to reflect and write, not only on my own but during sessions with the kids as well. Living with two other artists who both bring their own mediums makes the cabin atmosphere a hot spot for creativity and ideas. It has been really important to discuss themes for the week and different plans for each group. We have had to learn to talk amongst ourselves about ideas before sharing them with the group as well as coming up with backup plans if the kids are not responding well to an exercise. This brings me to actually working with the kids. It is incredibly rewarding. I have been leading my own sessions in songwriting and have been blown away by some of their abilities and their vulnerability in sharing work that might not feel complete or “good” to them. Their writings have inspired me in my own writing and I find myself eager to keep pushing them to express themselves and to push my own writing boundaries as well. It has also been an exciting challenge participating in sessions led by Cait where I am pushed to work through her medium of art – one that I haven’t truly touched since middle school. The kids work also has inspired me to think outside of the box. Schaefer Cabin is a gem and this job feels like a hidden treasure. I could not think of a more ideal place to submerse yourself in for the purpose of creating. In many ways, my experience can serve as a mirror for the kid’s own experiences. We ask them to step out of their comfort zone and to draw on what they are feeling inside. How can we ask them to be vulnerable without being vulnerable ourselves? The Artist in Resident, Cait Irwin who lives alongside me at Schaefer Cabin says that “we need to go first,” meaning that as figures who the kids look to for leadership and guidance, we need to take the jump first to show them that it is okay to show our flaws and insecurities. Otherwise, we will never be able to gain the kid’s trust. A developing trust with the kids is imperative to do because it reiterates the safe space that we are trying to encompass them in.

 

“Living here at the cabin has really pushed me out of my comfort zone, I have been able to draw on that discomfort and use it to create something beautiful.”

Kat King, 22

                  

               

Spending time at Schaefer Cabin takes the kids away from outside distractions and gives them a chance to decompress. It gives them the ability to focus on what they are here at Passage to do. By stripping down to the basics out in the wilderness and simplifying the kids lives, they begin to learn the Northwest Passage philosophy of living aeveryday as in a therapeutic lifestyle. Read more about the eight elements at https://nwpltd.org/passageway/.

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School with Cedar

Sep 21, 2016

Outside the Classroom Learning

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During school hours at our Assessment Center, we engage our kids in arts, outdoor, and environmental programming, along with academic studies. It is a time for adventure and exploration – we look “outside the Passage bubble” for opportunities to interact with our surrounding communities and partnerships and keep our minds and bodies busy!

Additionally weekends have been full of hiking, fishing, swimming, and exploring our local parks.

Sketching with AiR: Cait

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Cedar, our younger kids group, participated in the Artist in Residence program with Cait Irwin at Schaefer Cabin on the Namekagon River. Many of the residents were able to connect on a personal level with Cait as they developed a rapport, spent several outings with her, and learned that everyone has struggles they work through in their lives. It was a pleasure watching them grow and become more confident in their drawings and expressing themselves through these means. At each outing, residents were given a communal sketch book to use and were introduced to authentic artist’s tools. We spent a portion of the time working independently to create our sketches, coming together at the end to share our work, thought processes, and ideas about our artwork.

Exploring and Photographing Nature

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Parts of these trips were also spent exploring the woods of Schaefer Cabin, the stream, and the environment surrounding us. We took advantage of this environment and spent time on our photography unit. A favorite was capturing the local wildlife which included frogs, soft-shelled turtles, snakes, spiders, and bugs.

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Attending the Reception

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Three residents were able to help wrap up our experience by attending the Artist in Residence Reception at our Gallery. Cait was generous enough to spend part of her last day with us as we did some free sketching and observing at the Assessment Center.

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Hands-on Learning Activities

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Much of the learning that occurs for our residents is through experiencing new places and knowledge and dealing with it in a hands-on approach. Cedar has gotten to explore different lakes and outdoor spaces surrounding us by swimming, critter catches, making I-movies, and creating presentations about our environments.

One of our culminating activities was going for a swimming trip to the Best Western in Siren for an open swim time. Residents greatly enjoyed this trip and got the chance to challenge staff in several kids vs. staff challenges. There was great sportsmanship and much enthusiasm when the kids were victorious in several of these events!

Every Friday afternoon Cedar participates in the In a New Light photography programming and has a new park or trail that we explore.

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Reading Program

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To keep up with our reading we have been reading class books together every several weeks, including – The BFG by Ronald Dahl. As we read along with these books we enjoy creating projects, dioramas, posters, and other art projects around the themes. We enjoyed attending the movie after finishing the book and compared them to see if they are similar or different.

Previously we read Holes and had a variety of projects associated with this book. We also enjoyed a variety of other picture and chapter books that reflected our group’s areas of interest.

Learning Communication from Sammy

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As we continue throughout the school year, we look forward to more adventures and experiences ahead of us! A recent highlight was having Sammy, a therapy dog, come in for weekly visits with the kids. Many of the favorite activities are playing fetch, reading to her, and practicing open and clear communication by teaching her new tricks and practicing her obedience training.

Hannah Curran, Assessment Teacher

 

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Northwest Passage is dedicated to providing access to all eight elements of living a therapeutic lifestyle in a myriad of unique ways. Our teachers are known for incorporating them in the lessons that they teach the kids every day. These are just a few of the many examples where they are leaving the “traditional classroom.”

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