Residency provides inspiration at Wave Hill

Artist Gwen Fabricant has always been interested in the passage of time. That and a chance encounter with a scanner lead her to make collages out of organic materials that she has gathered over a period of time.

“I’ve always been inspired by nature,” said Ms. Fabricant. “Growing up in Brooklyn, I knew every plant and every empty lot.”

Working with a scanner allows her to change the scale of items like ferns and leaves before she glues them to make her collages. “It’s like my collision with the digital age,” she said with a laugh.

Ms. Fabricant is among a dozen artists taking advantage of Wave Hill’s Winter Workplace Program. The local institution opens its Glyndor Gallery as a place for participants to work and meet community members. As ever at the conservation-minded organization, nature is a major theme.

“It’s a really great way for artists to start work that will carry out into the rest of the world,” said Head Curator Jennifer McGregor.

A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, artist Zachari Logan makes pastel drawings that combine nature and human forms inspired by mythology.

“The body is a catalyst in a lot of my work,” he said. “Usually I focus more on humans, but I’m staying away from that, taking a break from human stories.”

Mr. Logan, who tries to take part in at least one residency a year, said Wave Hill’s program has expanded his view of the city.

Ezra Wube expressed a similar sentiment. He is drawing inspiration from Wave Hill’s rolling landscape to create a stop-motion animation short.

“It’s a great pleasure to be a part of the program,” said Mr. Wube. “It’s so quiet and you don’t hear any cars; it’s a very wonderful break from the city.”

Sarah Zapata, who is working with textiles and basketry, enjoys Wave Hill’s rolling landscape, which makes for a contrast with the flats of Texas where she grew up. She also noted that being at Wave Hill gave her the opportunity to use more plant dyes in her work and experiment with space and size.

In the future, Ms. McGregor hopes that the program, which is in its eighth year, expands to include artists like writers and choreographers.

“The good thing about this is that we develop with the artist, so they can always come back in the future,” she said.