Charlie Simonds

“We were told of the residency program at Buffalo Creek by our good friend Arminée Chahbazian, whose former colleague, David, had benefitted from his time working there. My wife, Bibbi, and I decided to check it out and went for a visit in October of 2021. Favorably impressed with the possibilities, we decided to apply for a residency. I was particularly interested in the steel fabrication prospect as I had done some of my best work in that medium while working at La Vie des Formes foundation in France some years ago. I was glad to be accepted at Buffalo Creek for a residency in 2022.

We took ourselves off to Nevada in October. The staff and the other residents were extremely helpful and I managed to fabricate a nine foot steel piece, in what was for me a challenging time. Bill, the onsite expediter, took care to supply the needed material, provided good counsel and was an essential partner in this enterprise. Along with the other residents, Jake, Suzi and Tim, he was most encouraging. I felt quite sustained by such positive support. The advantage of this affirmative context was instrumental in allowing me to complete my project within the time and material constraints. My sense of accomplishment was profound as I have been out of steel fabrication for some time. A big bravo goes out for the team of such considerate individuals and the splendid context which allowed this person of somewhat advanced age to accomplish the challenging task of fabricating a significant statement in steel. Bibbi joins me in me in my grateful thanks to Lana and Steve Hardy for their investment in this most generous endeavor.”