If there’s one thing Kimberly Sutherland is no stranger to, it’s talking to strangers.
While creating the second installment of her ongoing art project and publication series, RURAL, Sutherland’s three-week artist residency at the Cuyama Buckhorn in New Cuyama was full of cold calls and warm conversations.
“It’s the most enjoyable and inspiring project I’ve ever done and truly feels like it’s the work I’m supposed to do in my life. I love dedicating time and space to talk with strangers,” Sutherland told the Sun.
While aiming to explore the interconnections between humans and nature by examining individuals’ relationships to their surroundings, Sutherland bases each issue of RURAL on one specific rural area. The project began in Sutherland’s home state, when she interviewed residents of Joseph, Oregon, for her debut issue.
“It’s not meant to define a place based on the few people that I talk to. It’s a glimpse into some people’s experiences living in different rural communities,” Sutherland said of the series. “Every issue takes place in a different rural community where I place myself as an artist-in-residence at a place of lodging in that town.
“It’s really a project that’s exploring questions around how place impacts the way we engage with our communities, the land, our values, how we think about politics, how we’re creative, etc.,” Sutherland added. “It’s a way for me to try and understand our collective consciousness and gain perspective on other people’s realities through listening, conversation, and, sometimes, random experiences in nature.”
During her stay in New Cuyama, Sutherland conducted interviews with a variety of community members—from local farmers and business owners, like Robbie Jaffe and Steve Gliessman of Condor’s Hope Vineyard, to artists in the area, like Dick Gibford, aka “Cuyama Valley’s cowboy poet.”
The New Cuyama issue of RURAL was released in November, after more than a year in the making, as Sutherland’s artist residency took place during the summer of 2019. In a world prior to social distancing, Sutherland was able to visit most of her interviewees in their homes after they had agreed to meet with her.
“Sometimes we meet in public and have a coffee or go for a walk, but a lot of the time they invite me over to their house,” Sutherland said. “I’ve done so many different things with people. Definitely a lot of conversations over kitchen tables.”
Aside from house calls, Sutherland also joined her subjects on their daily activities, helping out with chores and errands, as well as recreational adventures, from casual hikes to spontaneous road trips.
“There’s something about being out in the elements with them, in their environment that adds to the feeling of shared humanness,” Sutherland said. “Even though I’m a stranger from a city, we are both sweating together running up this hill, or marveling at a herd of elk run over the prairie, or sharing tears about a relatable story.
“One thing I’ve learned is nuance is an incredibly important thing to remember when making judgements about people,” Sutherland added. “Nothing and nobody is simple. We all have a spectrum of interests and experiences that inform how we navigate the world and what we understand as truth.”
Thanks to translation support from freelance cultural worker Blanca S. Villalobos, Sutherland’s latest issue of RURAL is bilingual. Guests of the Cuyama Buckhorn can look forward to finding a copy of the New Cuyama edition in each guest room as well as the lobby. The issue is also now available for sale through the resort’s on-site market and online shop.
While looking back at her first RURAL adventure in Joseph, Oregon, and comparing it to her New Cuyama experience, Sutherland noticed “a common thread” between both sets of subjects.
“I actually think almost all of the people I’ve talked to in both places also really love what they do and they love where they live,” Sutherland said. “There’s a common thread of appreciation for the quiet, the beauty, the hard work, and the small community culture.”
Start a thread with Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 3-10, 2020.