THE SWIMMING HOLE
F O U N D A T I O N
It's time to reinvent how we work together.
What happens when you bring together a artist, an environmentalist and a computer scientist with a designer, a film-maker and a community activist, immerse them in a spectacular natural environment and give them room to play within the intersection of their ideas?
The Swimming Hole invites interdisciplinary groups to collaborate on self-directed projects. Our "Collaboratory" model places a strong emphasis on process vs. outcomes that build on curiosity, trust and conviviality. The Swimming Hole encourages exploration, knowledge sharing and hands-on prototyping that allows emergent concepts to surface during the co-creation of experimental work.
How it works...
​The Swimming Hole starts by inviting one or two "Collcats" to assemble a diverse, interdisciplinary group of collaborators. The cohort is usually 6 to 8 people - most of whom haven't worked together before. Before the residency, the group meets over zoom: to get to know one another, develop a general theme, and build ideas for the materials, processes and workflow for their collaboratory.
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Once the cohort finds its way to the Swimming Hole, they set up workspace in the barn, explore the mountain and settle in. Each day offers delicious meals on the screened porch, beautiful views, and walks through the deep woods and open spaces. Over time, artifacts emerge that range from multi-modal site-specific installations to cross-disciplinary experiments that result in a series of visual and ephemeral artifacts to process-driven works in traditional materials. We ask that you leave your body of work behind and open yourself up to new ways of creating.
The Swimming Hole also hosts groups for strategic "exploratories" for developing emerging projects, board meetings and other like-minded organizations needing a place to gather for a day.
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Trust uncertainty - Prioritize play
Residencies range from three days to two weeks and include room, meals and workspace. We do not cover travel costs, but we're happy to pick you up at the bus station in Kingston, NY or the Amtrak in Rhinecliff. If you're driving, we're 100 miles north of NYC. We recommend having at least one car. Groups should plan on eating out every third night.
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Facilities are situated on 10 acres and include an open barn, a large garden with a small pavilion, a ceramics studio, and many secluded, magical places in the woods and the swimming hole.
The Swimming Hole is on the side of a private mountain near historic Woodstock, NY within 3500-acres of preserved land. There is direct access to hiking trails, 7 miles of dirt roads for running, cascading streams and expansive views of the northern Catskills. A rigorous hike up to the Lookout Tower offers 360 degree views of the Hudson Valley. The crystal clear swimming hole is a three-minute walk from the house.
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Reach out to deb@theswimminghole.org and learn more about Swimming Hole events and opportunities and please join our mailing list to receive our quarterly newsletter. You can find the link at the bottom of this page.
Make room for joy...
As a social impact organization we have a responsibility to consider what it means to acknowledge the history and legacy of colonialism in our history as a nation, community, and organization.
The Swimming Hole Foundation acknowledges that Ulster County is the traditional territory of the Esopus (es-SOAP-us), a tribe of the Lenape (Delaware) Native Americans who were native to the Catskill Mountains. Their lands included modern day Ulster and Sullivan counties. We acknowledge the devastating history of genocide and forced removal from this territory, and we honor them and the many diverse Indigenous people still connected to this land on which we gather.
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Ulster County was one of the largest slave-holding counties in the state. Sojourner Truth, was born a slave in Ulster County in the 1790s and was raised near Rosendale, 10 miles to our south. The phrase, “Where slavery died hard,” was bestowed upon Ulster County as a result of the Dutch resistance to abolition during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The Swimming Hole Foundation acknowledges these painful chapters in our local history and we hope that the humble recognition of those who suffered can inspire all of us to work together towards obliterating all forms of racism that exist in our country today.
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We cherish all people.
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