Mark Fleuridor - Vermont Studio Center: Residency 2019

I attended Vermont Studio Center (VSC) in 2019 shortly after graduating from MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art). I didn't have access to some of the materials I became accustomed to at MICA, such as fabric dyes and printmaking equipment, so I decided to focus on painting. During my time at this residency I painted portraits of my family members i started off small then I created a larger portrait of my parents drinking Haitian chocolate and eating bread .

During my time at VSC, I met some amazing artists who became my friends, including Plantano Perls, Alicia Link, Nadia Liz Estela, and writer Yalie Saweda Kamara. Yalie inspired me to incorporate writing into my own artistic practice. After leaving VSC, I experienced a period of artist block, and writing poetry helped me find new ways to approach my art. This eventually led to the creation of some of my pieces including Adventures of Mako and Papi iron my clothes, Papi let's go to church, Papi Pa Fem wont.