Rachel Schmidt

Rachel Schmidt from the U.S.A. was the 2018 Artist in Residence under the Jon Schueler Residency Programme. Rachel is an installation artist based in the Washington, DC region and was based at the college between July and October 2018. 

During her time here, she used time-based media and installation to explore our impact on ecosystems, future landscapes, and the role that myth plays in our understanding of the environment. At the end of her residency Rachel, in collaboration with local artists Hector MacInnes and Caitlin MacKenzie, presented a live installation/sound/performance event in the Talla Mhòr with proceeds going to Seall’s Small Halls Festival. Back in the USA, Rachel continued a cross-Atlantic collaboration in 2019 with Sleat writer Rody Gorman and sound artist/musician Hector MacInnes here at SMO on video/sound interpretations of a series of Rody’s poems. The soundscape was recorded at Stiùidio Ostaig.

Rachel Schmidt’s solo show, ‘Cairn Sounds’, opened at Hamiltonian Gallery in Washington DC on January 12th, featuring a new body of work that is the direct result of the residency at SMO.

Rachel said about her residency: “The Jon Schueler Scholarship allowed me time and space to create art, to think, play and experiment. Thank you for exposing me to the profound community of scholars, artists, writers, and creatives at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. I have been telling people that the residency was something akin to winning the lottery and I am forever changed and positively impacted by the time spent in the Isle of Skye. I was so impressed with the incredible staff, mission, and creative environment at Sabhal Mor Ostaig and please know that I am spreading the word about SMO and it’s magic.”