Patrícia J. Reis
Banff has probably one of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. The mountains resemble much of the Austrian Alps, however in a bigger and wilder scale. The Leighton studios colony is located in the peaceful woods but just within a three-minute walk from the main quarter of the centre facilities. Despite the proximity toward where the action might happen, the studio location offers the proper serenity for immersion and creativity. In my first week of residence, I was given the The Evamy Studio (known as the writer studio). The 5m² glass house was just perfect for the initial settling down and project preparation, at the same time getting used to the forest and its singular natural happenings. The week after, just when the jetlag was finally over, I was moved to the big Gerin-Lajoie (or the painter studio, as it is known). The large working area offered an invitation to a more physical work, shared between the woods and the sculpture workshop. The dally, and persistent five minute walk up the hill, between the two locations, felt like a work out preparation for the upcoming hiking adventures. The following weeks were depicted as a peaceful working routine, bounded by the staff and colleagues good vibes, and celebrated with the occasional glass of Canadian red wine at the Mac Lab Bristo.
| 1. | My stay in one word: |
| Mindful! | |
| 2. | Things I miss since I am no longer there: |
| The amazing studio surrounded by nature, the peaceful working environment and the wonderful colleagues I've met during my stay. | |
| 3. | Dos & don’ts in this place: |
| Do: If you're in Banff over Summer, don't miss the hiking tracks of the beautiful Rockie Mountains, either just on the corner of the Campus, or even better, rent a car with Banff centre discount and go wild to the 6-8 hours round peak circle close to the Lake Louse. Hot springs, canoeing, yoga, indoor and outdoor climbing, indoor swimming....Don't overestimate the power of nature and avoid encounters with bears and elks! Despite the beautiful attractive turquoise colour of the bow river, swimming might be a challenge: water temperature is close to 0º. | |
| 4. | Where to buy great supplies: |
| Banff is a very small touristic town with only 2 supermarkets and 1 hardware shop. Better is to order everything in advance and deliver directly to the campus. In case you need something during your stay you will need to probably go to the next big city —Calgary. Better way to travel is by bus. On-line booking is cheaper. | |
| 5. | What you should definitely bring with you from home: |
| Specific material you might need for your project, hiking boots, hat, backpack, waterproof coat, sport cloths, swimming clothes, your favourite anti-mosquito spray, tobacco if you're a smoker. Don't bring umbrella, they have hundreds of them available at the campus. | |
| 6. | Concerning art at this destination: |
| There are no contemporary art museums in Banff besides the Banff centre. Be updated with the internal program rich in concerts, performances, open studios, and exhibitions. The Banff cinema hall might also have an interesting program going on. | |
| 7. | Around the studio – where I shop, drink my coffee and get the best lunch deal in walking distance: |
| Each artist is given a card with the allowance of 3 meals a day at Vistas buffet restaurant. The total amount charged in the card can be spent also in the other 3 restaurants and 1 coffee shop available in the campus. Depending on the length of your stay, it might happen that you want to break the routine and try out what the town has to offer. If that's the case, don't miss: running sushi at Caribou St., drinks at the Legion's Banff Av., evening cocktail and snacks at the Springs hotel (at least once!) and local market every Wednesday morning with bio delicious products. | |
| 8. | Where I like to spend the evening (dinner, drinks and best sound): |
| Within the routine of the campus you will end up having late food and drinks at MacLab with your new artist friends. | |
| 9. | What would have been useful to know before coming here and starting my residency: |
| Everything needs to be organized and ordered in advance. Don't overestimate the Banff organization and double check in advance if you will have everything you requested from the beginning. The participant resources centre has a lot of free cool activities that you can enrol, check the program in advance! You will have to start the heating system on your own: have fun finding the hidden button :) |
Website resident: patriciajreis.com