Uninhabited Island Bought on Craigslist to Become a Haven for Artists (Video)

Photo via Andrew Ranville

from TreeHugger.com
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California


One of the greatest places to be inspired for art is smack in the middle of nature, with no other evidence of human habitation. Rob Gorski found a listing for the 91-acre island on Craigslist last year and bought the untamed island (not something you get to do every day!). He and artist Andrew Ranville want to keep the island in its natural state, but still allow for artists to spend time on the island getting inspired and working on projects. So, they've launched a very unusual project.

The island is Rabbit Island, and sits 3 miles off the beach of Lake Superior. It has remained untouched, except for a fishing family that lived there in the late 1800s. But, it will be home to artists hoping to soak in the unscarred beauty of the forested shores.

The team states,

"Ecological concerns are a growing influence within the consciousness of society and the creative practices of many people. Visual artists, writers, designers, architects, farmers and creative researches of all types are doing some amazing things and we want develop an amazing space for those practices to flourish and be challenged. This artist residency presents some really unique constraints: It is off-the-grid, it is nature in its purist form, it's an experiment, a laboratory. It is isolated from all centralized forms of transportation, energy production, food industry, and, the world of art. Rabbit Island represents a chance to creatively explore ideas related to the absence of civilization in a well-preserved microcosm. This is why we want to establish an artist residency on Rabbit Island."

It sounds like heaven on Earth.

The duo needs your help, however. They need $12,500 in funds to get everything ready, and have just 9 days to raise just about $6,500. When you donate, you can receive as a thank you anything from a cotton tote bag to a trip to the island. You can check out their Kickstarter campaign to learn more.



... read more story at TreeHugger.com