Bubbler Room Residency

Bubbler Room Residency

Jennifer Bastian

Hold & Release

Thurber Park Artist-in-Residence
October 2024 - Fall 2026

An Invitation to Slow Down, Feel Deeply, and Create

There is a lot of grief in our world right now. For some it is delayed processing of loss due to the ongoing Covid pandemic and ramp-up back to “normal,” for others it is due to income inequality or racial inequity in a segregated city, others are impacted by the reality of multiple concurrent genocides around the world. I believe we need space to slow down and process our grief. Art can help us access the emotions our daily lives do not leave room for. Jennie’s multi-year residency invites in the public (adult focused, but all ages welcome) to process their own grief while being in a quiet and intimate community setting.

Photo taken at Communication by Nate Ryan
  • Jennifer Bastian is an autistic, queer and disabled artist and mother. Making art is what allows Bastian to regulate her nervous system. Her practice is related to the labor of parenting, grieving, and making community. 

    Bastian received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her MA and MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She was a finalist for the Women’s Forward Fund Forward Art Prize in 2022, and was given an Award of Merit from WVA in the 2022 Wisconsin Biennial at MOWA. Bastian will be the Thurber Park Artist in Residence 2024-2026.

  • Learn about how the Thurber Park artist residency came to be here.

  • You're more than welcome to bring something you're working on or learn about ongoing projects you can jump right into such as the community Grief Garland.

    Drop-in, no registration required

    May 30th from 10am - 12pm
    July 16 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm 
    Aug 21 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm 
    Sept 18  from 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Free Workshops at Thurber:

Process through Portraits

What is an object that represents grief in your life? This could be something literal: a loved one's urn, a photograph of someone you've lost, or piece of clothing. Perhaps it’s something less obvious: a plant, a type of food, a piece of art. In these intimate, one-on-one sessions artist-in-residence Jennie Bastian is helping community members capture the essence of these deeply personal objects through photograph and reflection. Participants are invited to sign up for a time slot and visit the Thurber Park residency space to have their object photographed; participants are welcome to be in the photo, but that is completely optional. Following the session, participants will receive a digital file or a print of their final image, professionally edited by Jennie. 

Please note: One or more individuals in this small space are immunocompromised. For that reason, we are requesting all attendees kindly mask before entering. Masks are provided on-site if needed and the sessions will be 1 on 1 individual time slots with Jennie.

Thursday, May 22 from 5:00pm-7:30pm - closed
Thursday, June 26 from 5:00pm-7:30pm - registration link
Thursday, July 24 from 5:00pm-7:30pm - registration link
Thursday, August 28 from 5:00pm-7:30pm - registration link

Sewing Bee: Stitching Community Banners

Join artist Jennie Bastian as she collaborates with the community to co-create nine hand-sewn banners for Terrain Biennial 2025—a grassroots, global public art festival that brings art to front lawns, porches, windows, rooftops, and stoops around the world. This fall, the Biennial comes to the Darbo-Worthington neighborhood, where Jennie’s vision invites you to stitch, share stories, and help shape a vibrant, collaborative artwork celebrating community, creativity, and collective voice.

Thursday, July 3, 5:30-7:30
Thursday, July 31, 5:30-7:30
Thursday, Aug 7, 5:30-7:30


Drop-in, no registration required

P
lease note: One or more individuals in this small space are immunocompromised.
For that reason, we are requesting all attendees kindly mask before entering; Masks available for visitors.

Open Studio Sessions:

Through a series of open studio sessions participants will be offered a quiet, welcoming environment to reflect, share, and find meaning in pausing. These sessions aren’t just about making art — they’re about creating room for collective healing and connection in a world that rarely slows down. Art materials for drawing, collage and fiber arts will be available. You're more than welcome to bring something you're working on or learn about ongoing projects you can jump right into such as the community Grief Garland.

May 30th from 10am - 12pm
July 16 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm 
(canceled) July 17 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm 
Aug 21 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm 
Sept 18  from 5:30 - 7:30 pm
 

Drop-in, no registration required

P
lease note: One or more individuals in this small space are immunocompromised.
For that reason, we are requesting all attendees kindly mask before entering; Masks available for visitors.

Location:

 

The Thurber Park Artist Residency is supported by Madison’s Municipal Arts Fund (Madison Arts Commission), The Friends of Madison Arts Commission, Madison Public Library, and The Friends of Madison Public Library.