Hi Friends.
Well here we are. The dark but twinkly time of the year. Holiday season. The closeout on 2021. When I started these monthly letters last January, I didn’t really know what they would be, where they would lead, nor what the year at large would bring. I’m not really sure I have a handle on the first two questions to be honest, but looking back at 2021 from this vantage point I feel grateful for a lot of it. It was a year of firsts for me – I ran my first artist residency sessions at the Upper Jay Art Center (more on that below), released my first album (also below!), and worked on some truly rewarding new collabs with a handful of artists, brands, companies, and orgs. Thanks to everyone who hung in for these monthly letters, and also to all the new people who joined along the way! Welcome welcome! I love putting these offerings together each month, as it forces me to really tune into what’s going on – within me, around me, in my community, and in the larger waves that take on us all. It’s fun to feel some kind of collective force or connection, even virtually. In many ways, it’s the virtual connections that got us through 2021 in one piece. Thank you to everyone here ♡
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To close out 2021’s Letters, I’ve got some final offerings for you – one of which I’m e x t r e m e l y excited about. As I mentioned above, I’ve continued working with the Upper Jay Art Center (UJAC) to develop CA+MP, an artist-in-residence program in upstate NY. This year we hosted four separate residency sessions and 21 incredible artists. I feel so proud of what we were able to do, and you can check out what went down during the 2021 sessions in this video recap I put together:
The MORE exciting thing, however, is that the program is continuing to grow and we just announced our very first OPEN CALL for applications this week. This means that artists from all over, at any stage of their career and working in a variety of disciplines, can now apply to CA+MP. It also takes us into our first official year of the program – a big step for a little org. Please check out the link below if you’re interested in learning more about CA+MP, want to share this opportunity with the artists in your life, or perhaps want to apply yourself! Applications are open now and the deadline is Jan 31, 2022. There’s already been a lot of interest in just the last 2 days, and I’m so excited to see more applications roll in.
Beyond CA+MP stuff, below you’ll find the December playlist, as well as links to my album in case you haven’t listened yet, or want to send a holiday gift to the vinyl-lover in your life ♡.
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A year in review: six+ hours of the most played tunes from all the FRIEND ENERGIES playlists. Yes, that's right - these are the top vibes from the other 11 playlists I shared this year. Turn on, tune in, chill out, and relax to the soundtrack from this year as you make all your big plans for 2022.
In 2022 we'll be hosting 8 weeks of creative residencies for both solo artists and groups at any stage of their career, working in visual disciplines, film, music, writing, movement & dance, theater, performance art, & multidisciplinary practices. Applications are open between Dec 15, 2021 and Jan 31, 2022. Please contact us with any questions at camp@upperjayartcenter.org. We look forward to seeing your work! ♡
Link to stream Following the Light on Spotify! If you have a Spotify account, this is the best place to listen, as it helps me the most in terms of giving the record visibility (aka "ye olde algorithm"). If you enjoy what you hear, please like the album, add the songs to your playlists, and follow along ♡
Limited run of classic black vinyl ~ Rich matte artwork, lyric insert, and a chance to experience the record in the flesh. If you have a record player, this is the way to do it. Orders ship out weekly.
And so: Happy holidays to all, if you celebrate! … And to everyone here, regardless of whether you enjoy this time of year or not, I hope you're able to reflect with some measure of wonder and gratitude at the path you carved through 2021. We made it! I'm proud of you.
See you next year,
Caitlin
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