Soil to Pigment: A Land-Based Mini Residency on Indiana Soil, Color, and Material Practice

$135.00

Join land-based artist and researcher Shamira, soil health specialist Kevin Allison, and cultural practitioner Dr. Danicia Monét Malone for an intimate half-day residency exploring Indiana soil as both ecological record and artistic material. Held during opening weekend for Coordinates of Belonging, the 2026 summer solstice annual group exhibition.

Beginning with a guided conversation on the soils of Indiana, participants will learn how land conditions, agriculture, ecology, and human stewardship shape the ground beneath us. From there, the group will move into a hands-on pigment-making session, transforming locally sourced soils into watercolor pigments through traditional grinding and preparation processes.

Throughout the residency, tea and seasonal refreshments will be shared as part of the slower, somatic approach to learning, observation, and material engagement.

Participants will leave with handmade earth pigments, works on paper, and a take-home material kit for continued experimentation and study.

This residency is designed for artists, gardeners, educators, environmental thinkers, and anyone interested in deepening their relationship to land through making.

Residency Includes:

Guided soil study and conversation
Hands-on pigment preparation and painting session
Tea and light refreshments
Take-home pigment making and watercolor kit
Reusable tote, notebook, and materials for continued practice
$90 Residency Admission
$45 Materials Kit
Day-of ticketed admission to Coordinates of Belonging

Details:

Date: June 21, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Capacity: Limited to 20 participants
Registration closes June 14 to allow preparation of individualized material kits.

Coordinates of Belonging is a group exhibition presented off-site. The residential setting is stewarded by neighbors who have transformed the cottage, grounds, and remaining farmstead into an artists and writers residency. Hosts will be in touch with more location and attendance detail prior to the workshop.

Join land-based artist and researcher Shamira, soil health specialist Kevin Allison, and cultural practitioner Dr. Danicia Monét Malone for an intimate half-day residency exploring Indiana soil as both ecological record and artistic material. Held during opening weekend for Coordinates of Belonging, the 2026 summer solstice annual group exhibition.

Beginning with a guided conversation on the soils of Indiana, participants will learn how land conditions, agriculture, ecology, and human stewardship shape the ground beneath us. From there, the group will move into a hands-on pigment-making session, transforming locally sourced soils into watercolor pigments through traditional grinding and preparation processes.

Throughout the residency, tea and seasonal refreshments will be shared as part of the slower, somatic approach to learning, observation, and material engagement.

Participants will leave with handmade earth pigments, works on paper, and a take-home material kit for continued experimentation and study.

This residency is designed for artists, gardeners, educators, environmental thinkers, and anyone interested in deepening their relationship to land through making.

Residency Includes:

Guided soil study and conversation
Hands-on pigment preparation and painting session
Tea and light refreshments
Take-home pigment making and watercolor kit
Reusable tote, notebook, and materials for continued practice
$90 Residency Admission
$45 Materials Kit
Day-of ticketed admission to Coordinates of Belonging

Details:

Date: June 21, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Capacity: Limited to 20 participants
Registration closes June 14 to allow preparation of individualized material kits.

Coordinates of Belonging is a group exhibition presented off-site. The residential setting is stewarded by neighbors who have transformed the cottage, grounds, and remaining farmstead into an artists and writers residency. Hosts will be in touch with more location and attendance detail prior to the workshop.

Shamira is a land-based artist and researcher whose practice centers okra as a complete ecological material system—fiber, pigment, food, and ash. Working directly with the plant across its full life cycle, she develops material knowledge through sustained engagement with soil, growth, and transformation, translating agricultural processes into textiles, works on paper, and architectural material applications. Her work asks what becomes legible when land is not a backdrop but a collaborator.

Dr. Danicia Monét Malone is the founder of Rokh, a multidisciplinary, cultural equity, research & design studio for inclusive storytelling. Founded in 2016, studio projects encompass identity, somatics, and democracy of place. Partners include scholars, researchers, and practitioners who work collaboratively and independently towards rooting tactical and somatic equity & liberation in the civic space.

Kevin Allison, Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District Soil Health Specialist, specializes in small-farm agroecology and soil health. His focus is to provide resources and help farmers and gardeners grow food using sustainable and regenerative practices such as nutrient management, cover crops, mulching, and no-till. He collaborates with USDA-NRCS and conservation partners to deliver training and technical assistance to growers and agencies. His background includes Indiana University, Peace Corps Dominican Republic, and over a decade of growing vegetables.