Hello World ! this is Week One of the 2025 Windgate Residency
I’m excited to share what’s been happening during our first week at the Museum for Art in Wood as part of the 2025 Windgate Residency. This year’s residency brings together artists from five countries:. It’s incredible to see the diversity of backgrounds and experiences that each resident brings to the table.
Artists:
Klara Knutsson – Stockholm, Sweden
Allen Laing – Johannesburg, South Africa
Edgar Orlaineta – Mexico City, Mexico
Nifemi Ogunro – Brooklyn, New York, US
Asem Kamal – Giza, Egypt
Student Artist:
Arden Carlson – Fayetteville, Arkansas, US
Scholar:
Holly Gore Ph.D.- Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, US
Milessa introduces us to the incredible resources and tools available at NextFab.
One of the highlights this week was visiting NextFab, the makerspace where we’ll be working throughout the residency. The space is massive, and the range of tools and equipment available is incredible—everything from CNC routers to laser cutters. It’s an inspiring environment that opens up so many possibilities for experimentation and making.
At the Museum, we had a tour of the current exhibition, Katie Hudnall: The Longest Distance Between Two Points
. I was impressed by her unique blend of engineering and illustration—it’s a testament to the craftsmanship and creativity that wood can hold.
Allen and Holly share their thoughts on Katie Hudnall’s fascinating blend of engineering and illustration.
Our journey to the Echo Lake Collaborative event begins—Nifemi takes the wheel.
We also had the opportunity to attend the Echo Lake Collaborative Conference in Bucks County.
It was an intense three days of making and collaborating with other artists. It was great to see everyone working together, exchanging ideas, and building new connections.
A collaborative piece takes shape as Allen teams up with artists @rexkalehoff, @dzbanfield, and @clearcolorist.
Back at NextFab, each resident has their own workbench. It’s interesting to think about how each artist will transform their space and develop their projects over the coming weeks.
Allen’s workbench, now home to a mix of carefully selected wood from Echo Lake and repurposed scrap finds.
Klara and Edgar getting comfortable in their new creative corners.
Arden’s first impression of the workspace
Klara’s workbench filled with delicate veneers she plans to incorporate into her art.
Stay tuned for more updates as we dive deeper into our work and share our progress with you.