Susannah Israel was selected as 2011 Jentel Critic at Archie Bray, holding the unique distinction of having been both writer-in-residence and artist-in-residence (2002) at the Bray.
Aaron Benson,
MJD Fellow
Nicholas Bivins,
Matsutani Fellow
Jana Evans,
Taunt Fellow
Mathew McConnell,
Lilian Fellow
Courtney Murphy,
Lincoln Fellow
Susannah Israel spent the first two weeks of May in Montana, interviewing the Bray’s 2011 Taunt, Lilian, Lincoln, Matsutani, and MJD Fellows about their artwork, experiencing firsthand the creative environment that helped create the work for their farewell exhibitions that summer.
May 15 through June 15th was spent in residence at the Jentel Foundation Program, to take advantage of the isolated environment while writing five 500-word essays about these Bray fellowship artists' work.
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Below are some comments from her exit interview.
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"By nature I am a worker bee, dedicated to service in my community. Jentel pampered us, providing beautiful, inspiring surroundings and giving me time to work on anything I wanted. In this amazing place, I wrote stories, several articles, a sequence of poems, and of course the catalog essays about the five Bray artists that is the reason for this collaborative residency.
read the catalog http://archiebray.org/residence_program/ABFfellow11monograph.pdf
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"I also made drawings every day, inspired by the long and majestic drive from California to Wyoming, completing 13 large-format drawings called the Jentel Suite. https://omocpress.wordpress.com/2025/08/17/the-book-of-jentel/
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I joined Wyoming artists for Sheridan Celebrates the Arts, publicly sculpting a figure in clay, with thanks to Rod Dugal for his support. The piece, My Wyoming, is at Sheridan College. https://www.artinsheridan.com/celebratethearts​​
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"At Jentel Presents I read The Creek Is Rising, a suspenseful story about the Jentel residents on May 21st, 2011, the day the world was supposed to end.
http://wyomingarts.blogspot.com/2011/05/jentel-presents-june-7-at-sagebrush.html​
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The article "Jennifer Brazelton: Essential Structures" can be read here.
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Grey Kitty, the most beautiful semi-feral kitty, stole my heart! There were some tears when we parted...
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"To quote Alan Rickman, it was 'like pouring gasoline on a fire.' I am forever grateful to the Bray and Jentel Foundations and I am, frankly, intoxicated by all this honey."
Susannah Israel
Jentel AIR Exit Interview
