Landon Mackenzie: In memory of Brigitte Freybe
I am sure it was soon after the start of the Pandemic when Henning and Brigitte Freybe reached out to me wanting to bounce around ideas…thinking maybe to create a place for artists to work in a rural setting near Keremeos. Would it be worth it?
Anouchka Freybe: Mother in the Middle
My mother passed away on January 8th, 2026.
I rehearse saying the phrase with people I don’t know and those that I do, and the words still don’t feel real or possible. I don’t really know how to explain how “I’m doing”. I’m almost embarrassed by how much I miss her.
I hear her voice in my head, how she talked with enthusiasm or disdain, her thought processes and observations shared without fear. Her opinions tumble out, and land on the table like playing cards.
Creative Burnout
As someone who’s been a creative person for the majority of my life, it can be a bit hard around New Years. With the societal pressure of “New Years Resolutions”, the hand-made gifts for the ones I love over the holidays, and trying to tend to my own creative projects, I find myself struggling to not only get rest, but to return to my creativity; leaving me in a bit of a “Creative Purgatory” for lack of a better term. However, I’ve been trying to find ways to ground myself when I find myself stuck like that.
Ali’s Anniversary
This December will mark my third anniversary at the Similkameen Artist Residency. When my little family left the city and arrived here at the end of 2022, I had no idea that we would stay as long as we have, but I am so grateful for my time in the Similkameen. In every season that’s passed, the valley has held us and everything in it.
Recent Reflections
“I plan a visit to the residency once every two months. I tell myself that this schedule is important, because being there physically adds context and understanding of current needs, and nothing beats learning directly from our staff and the artists-in-residence. This November, I’ll be driving the jarringly scenic rollercoaster highway (the Crowsnest) from Vancouver to Keremeos for the 22nd time.”