Anna Wetzel Artz

Anna Wetzel Artz was an artist-in-residence at Prairieside Outpost in August 2023, traveling from the Seattle, Washington area. During her residency, Anna reflected on her own roots in the Kansas landscape while responding to the summery environment at Prairieside Outpost through her bright and lively marks, materials, and compositions.

Twenty-two small birch panels accompanied me to the Prairieside residency, along with the anticipation of generous studio time. At home, I fit painting in between parenting and teaching, so I was eager to explore the open timescape of a solo residency in a quiet rural setting.

The studio annex was a great place to spread out my collage materials. Some of these included archival, unbleached tissue paper, which affords play with translucent planes in my abstracted landscapes. Walnut ink was my choice for responding to the crisp, grassy textures, as much of Chase County flora is on the drier side in August.

Immersed in the serene expanse of tallgrass at Prairieside Cottage for a week, I found space to reflect on the plains geography of my childhood and translate its forms, hues, and textures into my creative practice.  

Having been raised near the Konza Prairie, the landscape was a familiar one. It did, however, take me a minute to reacquaint myself with the enormous insects of this ecosystem! Though I still visit family in the Kansas City area frequently, I’d almost forgotten the sensation of grasshoppers knocking up against your legs during a stroll out in the country.

Despite the distinctively horizontal view we often associate with a plains landscape, I felt drawn to work a bit in a vertical, ‘portrait’ orientation, focusing on the smaller forms I observed around the Prairieside property. Tufts of tallgrass and native flowers, billowy hickory and cottonwood trees, and cloud shapes informed many of my starting compositions. The varied greens of the landscape worked their way in, along with the repetitive texture of the grasses.

Matfield Green itself is a captivating place. A tiny enclave of community-minded artists and musicians who long to live close to the land, these folks have invested their energy into fostering a rich exchange of cultural projects. Though this was a solo artist residency, I was able to connect with others working in the area. I got to rub shoulders after one of their weekly events — a performance and history discussion by musician Lem Sheppard, who highlights the storytelling and songs of Black Americans during the Victorian Era.

At the time of my visit, the Matfield Green population hovered just below 60, yet they’ve worked hard to develop an array of organizations and arts initiatives, including: Matfield Green Works, the Tallgrass Artist Residency, Matfield Station, and the School for Rural Culture and Creativity. It was an honor it was to catch a glimpse into this special world, and a gift to participate in the Prairieside Outpost Artist Residency. Though the week sounded so expansive to me at first, studio time still flew by quickly—the inevitable effect of restful, creative flow. I’m grateful to note that the quiet inspiration taken from this experience has remained, and will continue to inform my work in the future.