Savanna Studio Recipe

Mix, but do not shake:

36 students armed with sketchbooks and camping gear

3 instructors prepared with information and an agenda

5 university vans equipped with walkie-talkies and spare keys

Then add a plethora of interesting historic, cultural and native landscapes over 7000 miles, and you have an adventure to remember!


Thursday, September 23, 2010

Day TEN | Three states in three days!

Buffalo statue in Cody, Wyoming
Larry Pirnie, Evening Run
Our first and last wake-up-call in Cody, Wyoming. The plushy beds felt wonderful to sleep on after 5 nights of curling up in our sleeping bags in the Badlands and Black Hills. After realizing our breakfast was not in our hotel, we venture across the frigid parking lot to find our meal waiting for us in the back of an antique store. We ate breakfast with a buffalo head on the wall staring back at us. At least we were eating bagels instead of buffalo…that would have been awkward. We loaded up the vans and got ready for our first assignment of the day…DESIGN INTERVENTION. We were divided into groups of three and told to explore the town of Cody, because we were to design a gateway connecting the historical museum to the visitor center.
After taking numerous notes and plenty of pictures we met up once again before beginning our design task. Cody is a huge tourist town; Buffalo Bill had left his mark on almost everything in the area. We sat outside working on sketches, and some groups found clever ways to escape the cold, such as working in the hospital and even inside a nearby teepee. Two hours later, after freezing to the bone, we stopped the project to warm up and look at the landscape artwork in the historical museum. The art depicted landscapes of Yellowstone, and of the cowboys that made that rugged land home. Work of those like Larry Pirnie and Carl Rungius lined the walls of the gallery.  Along with the paintings there were sculptures of Native American art scattered throughout.  The many works were both beautiful and inspiring. Just before heading out on another road trip we stopped for a grocery run.  On our drive through the mountains we encountered sunset, rain and…snow?!  We arrived in West Yellowstone, Montana just in time to spend the rest of our free night working on our design intervention projects.  A hotel lobby can look pretty full with 30+ LA students sprawling their sketchbooks and drafting tools everywhere. The night was spent preparing for the next morning’s presentations.
      
                                                                                                                               -Devon and Kathleen

2 comments:

  1. This trip was one of the best times of my entire college career...you guys will get closer than you could have ever imagined - and have the best time! :) Happy travelling!

    Britney Short - LA Class of 2010

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  2. Hey guys: We're watching back here! I really love reading these blog posts and wishing I was on the trail with you! Keep up the good work and STAY WARM. They weren't kidding about the warm clothes, were they?

    Heidi

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