Dear Friends of Free Columbia,
Challenging times seem to have a way of revealing what communities and people are really made of, and in this current moment of uncertainty, and the fears of a quickly changing world, we are called to awaken an inner strength and embodiment of our virtues and continue to bring light and life into the world. For 16 years Free Columbia has been a pillar of community, art, and the intention that creative work is transformational and important to both the individual, and society. And as programming has shifted throughout those years, with painting classes, residential programs, events, collaborations, online classes, and so on, I have the distinct pleasure of offering a look into the current form and culture of this past year at Free Columbia, and the plans and dreams of the next.
Work at Free Columbia has always held the perspective that art and creativity are essential to both personal and cultural development. Art is not just material, experiential, or for enjoyment, but the realm in which we are moved most deeply, express the inexpressible, and sculpt the future we dream of. For us, these ideas and practices should be accessible to anyone, and every offering from Free Columbia is offered on a self determined sliding scale, which means all of our programming and work is donation based.
In January of 2025, we officially began the Free Columbia Artist Residency Program, a self-directed and project-based residency for young artists directed by Soren Dietzel. Greatly supported by the local community, between 20 and 40 people attend every Tuesday as a potluck is followed by exploratory artistic sharings from the residents, with artist talks, workshops, exhibitions, and more. This created invaluable space for the artist residents to share their work and feel the support and interest of hundreds of people over the course of the year. In 2025, Free Columbia welcomed 13 residents working in various projects and mediums, engaging with collaboration, self-expression, and growing an artistic practice amidst a vibrant community.
Along with the residency program, classes have continued to be offered at Free Columbia in-person and online. This year our Executive Director Laura Summer has taught painting and color workshops locally as well as abroad, and continues to be in high demand as a profound teacher of how art can be a transformative practice for anyone. This demand in congruence with a digitalizing world has brought her online classes attendance to more than 200 people, including participation from people in places such as Vietnam, India, Slovenia, and Saudi Arabia. Offering a variety of courses ranging from ‘Color as a Way to the Spirit’ to ‘Painting as Devotion’, Laura’s online classes have been deeply moving and continue to grow, exhibiting the importance of this work being shared with the world. Additionally, Soren Dietzel, Gabel Cramer, Godfrey Opio, and Amelia McIsaac have taught classes in areas including biography work, ceramics, music, and textiles, and artists in residence have led weekly classes on storytelling, movement, and social art.
Looking forward into 2026, we have a wonderful cohort of residents scheduled to join us in March, bringing experience in painting, ceramics, music, furniture design, woodworking, and more. Laura will continue to offer online courses throughout the year and in-person workshops over the summer. Soren will oversee the residency program as well as facilitate a series of live music offerings to the greater community. Through everything that happens at Free Columbia, our vision of offering space for artistic practice, self development, community, and inspirited life remains completely donation based, meaning we rely on people all over the world to support this work.
Whether you have been a participant in the past, know someone who has, or just know that this work is critical for the world today, your generosity is deeply appreciated by all of us at Free Columbia. Please consider donating and helping us keep up this good work.
If you would like to be a part of this future, you can donate in any of these ways:
Via check to Free Columbia mailed to 651 Harlemville Road, Hillsdale, NY 12529
Online at Freecolumbia.org/donate
Venmo or Paypal with username @Freecolumbia
Thank you on behalf of the entire team here at Free Columbia.
Gabel Cramer: Director of Development and Fundraising
Laura Summer: Executive Director and Teacher
Soren Dietzel: Director of the Residency Program
And our board of Angela Foster, Alison Fox, Pete Lemire, Soren Dietzel, Kai Naor, Laura Summer, Matt Sawaya
P.S. - Every time I receive an email from Laura, I read her email signature which contains this quote from Joseph Beuys, and its importance seems to ring true now more than ever:
