I Art Amador: An afternoon at the pony farm

Kelsey Newman for Ledger Dispatch

Pony Farm, located in Pioneer, California, has housed two artists recently that have given rural Amador County residents exposure to art that they may not have had access to. Pony Farm owners, Liz and Max bought the farm in 2016 and have revamped the 2-acre homestead offering a place for travelers as an AirBnb as well as a respite for artists who hit hard times during the pandemic. This May, they hosted a reception for two incredible artists that applied for Pony Farm’s Spring Artist Residency program. 

Upon arrival to Pony Farm, I went in with an excited, open heart. The first artist I met was the kind and gentle soul, Eden Knutilla.  Some of their artwork hung from the rafters in the gallery/studio cabin with softly lit candles below. They came to Amador County from Oakland, CA and wanted to be surrounded by trees and work beside them to “experience the biodiversity and history of this space.” I asked them how has this space at Pony Farm influenced their creative process and art work; Eden said, “Each of the squares hanging down from the old building is based on a conversation with a tree on the property and that’s what you see on the altar space…each tree has given an offering telling a story and bringing them into the gallery.” I was met with a whole body experience sitting in the studio with Eden. Nearby, the visions of spirals and jagged lines like a heartbeat in different colors, were a few chairs with headphones that welcomed viewers to sit down and listen. As I sat and watched the images projected on a screen and listened to the ethereal sounds, I heard layers of voices, little nuances of different sounds and watched fabric flowing in nature almost like the inside of a dream. Experimental noises with different instruments, Eden moved gracefully in the images. “This work is extricable from the place it is made.” After the 10-day stay, Eden felt Liz did a great job taking them around Amador and going to the historical sites for the first few days. “Learning about the extraction of the Gold Rush and violence towards the Miwok was what started and opened this container…a lot of grief…I think a lot of this work is really about having a conversation with all of the nuances of the history and the present. The sound is an extension of that communication…to speak to complex experiences. The experience is very non-linear…drawings are the recordings of that and then turned into music.” Eden is having conversations upon conversations like the branches of a tree. It is a response to what they are feeling and displayed like a seismograph. Next up for Eden is working with a queer youth group called the Pacific Center for Human Growth, which is also online doing summer workshops and they are looking for more artist in residency programs this fall. Look for more of their work on www.edenknutilla.com

Next, I met with artist Delaney George from New Orleans, L.A. who is a published director, photographer and visual artist who produces and styles most of all of her shoots. She came across Pony Farm Artist Residency program from searching hashtags. “Liz is really good with social media.” When I walked into the smaller gallery space, a number of stunning photographs were displayed with some music playing in the background. Delaney explained everything about this environment in Pioneer is extremely different from her usual typical place she works in but she has also noticed this experience has helped her become aware of her habits when trying to create her art and conceptualize photoshoots. She has been inspired here to create a bigger conceptual project involving mirrors as well. Delaney states, “I find a lot of experiences come from my environment and being out here has taught me that I’m in a different focus area; has held up the mirror in me. I feel like I can focus better out here with less noise.” I asked her to tell me more about “The King is Dead” that is also shown in Los Angeles Gallery 90220. Delaney explained, “The whole concept of the show is a 5-part series of conceptual photographs similar to this but different themes. I imagined this exact shot in a dream. I am deeply inspired by images of the past…where a black woman or black people would have been during this time period and I have to be realistic.” This work is how she views “black women from a majestic standpoint, black women in a deity type fashion.” I was in awe how powerful this photograph spoke to me. “I know these concepts are in your face and so I try to give as much explanation as possible.”

The mixed media piece Delaney worked on during her stay at Pony Farm was a series of candid photographs of familiar people I recognized from local restaurants and business owners. In the middle was a mirror. Looking in, she said as I thought, “Here you are, another face of Amador County. I wanted to create a piece that the people of Amador could keep.” This piece will be part of the permanent Amador Arts Council collection. For more of her 5-part series in Gallery 90220 in L.A., check out @laneslense and @gallery90220 on Instagram. Next up, Delaney may be making a big move to Los Angeles. 

While speaking to Liz Grandseart, co-owner of Pony Farm said that this has been the most successful opening. She would love to extend this residency to a month. “Delaney’s work is showing access to a different culture that is a ‘gift to the county.’ Eden’s work is not selling prints like other artists as they have a Patreon account (online creative economy platform) and that needs to be funded. This is the kind of stuff that is really exciting that people need to see here.”

The two things I saw and felt that both of these young artists have in common along with my conversation with Liz, who is also an artist, are these people have beautiful souls and are very down to earth and articulate individuals. I think Pony Farm is a special place that inspires and grounds one another, right in the heart of Amador County and brings incredible connections between artists and our community and enriches us all as individuals with access to art! It is comfortable and approachable. Liz says, “They hope to continue connecting artists to Amador County.”

Kelsey Newman is a writer working for Amador Arts Council to highlight the local art scene throughout Amador County. If you want to request coverage for arts and cultural/historical events and experiences, please contact Amador Arts at info@amadorarts.org or by calling (209)256-8166. Amador Arts Council is the designated State Local Partner to the California Arts Council, a state agency (arts.ca.gov). Amador Arts Council is a 501c3 established in 1982 to encourage, support, and promote the arts in our schools and community. We put artists to work paying artists of all kinds more than $40,000 a year to provide free classes and creative experiences for all people throughout Amador County. Find out more at amadorarts.org.