This question is often asked, and many people assume that the best time of year is the summer as it is light all of the time. People also assume that the winter is not a good time to come because it is cold and dark all of the time. Fortunately, in the winter, neither of these are true! While it can be cold in the winter, the average daily temperature is actually very similar to that than New York City. Furthermore, due to the angle of the earth relative to the sun, sunset and sunrise actually take a very long time, often more than two hours. These long periods of time produce deep colors in the sky and the landscape that you do not see in the lower latitudes.

The other opportunity you have in the winter is to see the northern lights. In order to see these light you need a dark and clear sky. The best time of year to see the aurora borealis is between October and March, believe it or not by April there is too much light in the night sky! Here is a picture to wet your artistic appetites of the auroras shinning over our Spákonufell mountain above Skagaströnd. Come to NES and check out our light.

Guest Blogger: Hideki Arichi, September Artist in Residence

Last Wednesday 14th September, the weather was really fine and fearing that it may be the last of the fine weather I went up the mountain with Joseph. We got a lift to the local golf club which faces the North Route up the mountain. The technical data in the leaflet is as follows:

Distance: 3.3km to the top

Duration: 2 hours to the top

Landscape: Steep but fairly easy

Elevation: 570m

Highest Point: 639m

So off we set without the leaflet with the map in it…after a wrong turn at the base and 2o minutes wandering and muttering on the flat we found the start of the route and passed a water tank…

A rather odd sight…we carried on although it was evident who was the old man out of the two us as I found myself watching Joseph open up a sizable gap on me yet he was still in sight.

He’d rest and wait so by the time I’d catch up, he’d had a good 10 minute rest!

It did start to get steeper at some points and there was still a little bit of snow up there from the previous 5 days. This is Joseph just before he started jumping up and down in the snow which apparently gave him an incredible sense of pleasure.

On we went at some points in the shade the ground was still a little frozen or a little slippery.

Getting closer to the top now…

The top is called Borgarhausinn its a huge mossy plain much larger than you imagine from just seeing the side from down below. Its a curious texture when you walk on it, yielding under your weight but springing back into place when you lift your foot.

We found the chest! Well alright not THE treasure chest but one with a guestbook where we both signed our names. I have numerous pictures from up at the top but somehow they don’t seem as good as being up there nor do they quite capture that sense of accomplishment that comes with walking up to the top.

To continue reading this post (and see more pictures) please see Hideki’s blog.

Nes listamiðstöð býður ykkur að koma í pálínuboð í Nesi listamiðstöð fimmtudaginn 13. október klukkan 19:30. Allir velkomnir.

Pálínuboð fara þannig fram að það koma allir með eitthvað gott að borða og slegið er upp hlaðborði. Þið getið til dæmis komið með uppáhalds fiskréttin ykkar, pottrétt eða bara eitthvað sem ykkur langar að deila með okkur hinum.

Þetta er kjörið tækifæri til að hitta listamenn mánaðarins og kynna fyrir þeim lífið í litlum bæ á íslandi.

Endilega komið með alla fjölskylduna við verðum með eitthvað skemmtilegt að gera fyrir krakkana.

Nes artist residency invites the community of Skagaströnd to a potluck on Thursday, October 13th, at 7:30 pm. Everyone is welcome.

This is a great opportunity to meet the artists and share about life in Skagaströnd and Iceland.

Nes Artist Residency wants to hire a project manager in 50 % position at the residency. The project manager takes care of the daily management of the residency, which includes; marketing, communications with artist, planning of events, overseeing the apartments and studios. The project manager also works with the board of Nes in planning in the future development of Nes.

The project manager will work in Skagaströnd Iceland.

Qualifications:

• University education in art or related field
• Proficient English
• Experience with in art or cultural development.
• Excellent social skills.
• Good organization skills and ability to work independently.
• Initiative, interest and enthusiasm

Application deadline is 10^th of October. Please send in an application with information about education, experience and references to Nes Artist Residency Túnbraut 1-3, 545 Skagaströnd or to halldor@biopol.is.

Further information gives Halldór G. Ólafsson in telephone: +354-452 2977 or email: halldor@biopol.is

Joseph Breikers frá Ástralíu mun á morgun fimmtudag opna gagnvirka skúlptúra sem bera heitið Augnablik aðgerðaleysis.

Endilega kíkið við milli 17 og 18 á túninu hjá Bjarmanesi, við minigolfvöllinn.

Nes listamiðstöð ehf. auglýsir 50% starf verkefnisstjóra fyrir listamiðstöðina laust til umsóknar.  Verkefnisstjóri annast daglegan rekstur listamiðstöðvarinnar, s.s. markaðs- og kynningarstarf, samskipti við listamenn og umsýslu með vinnustofum, gistirými, viðburðum og öðrum umsvifum.  Verkefnisstjóri starfar jafnframt með stjórn félagsins að stefnumörkun til áframhaldandi uppbyggingar listamiðstöðvarinnar.

Starfsstöð hans er á Skagaströnd.

Hæfniskröfur:

• Háskólamenntun á sviði lista og / eða menningar æskileg eða menntun sem nýtist til starfsins.
• Góð enskukunnátta
• Reynsla af verkefnum á sviði lista- og menningar.
• Framúrskarandi hæfni í mannlegum samskiptum.
• Sjálfstæð og skipuleg vinnubrögð.
• Frumkvæði, áhugi og drifkraftur.

Umsóknarfrestur er til og með 10. október nk. og gildir póststimpill/tölvupóstsending þann dag.  Umsóknir með greinargóðum upplýsingum um menntun, starfsreynslu og umsagnaraðila, berist Nes listamiðstöð ehf., Túnbraut 1 – 3, 545 Skagaströnd eða sendist á eftirfarandi netfang: halldor@biopol.is

Nes listamiðstöð ehf. var stofnuð árið 2008 og þar hafa að jafnaði dvalist um 100 listamenn árlega..

Nánari upplýsingar veitir Halldór G. Ólafsson, sími 452 2977, netfang: halldor@biopol.is

Photos by Ingeun Kim

Í dag verður opið hús hjá Nesi listamiðstöð. Listamenn september mánaðar munu taka á móti gestum og sína þeim hvað þeir eru búnir að vera að vinna að undanfarnar vikur. Húsið opnar klukkan 17 og verður opið til klukkan 20.

Listamenn mánaðarins eru:
Annika Bastacky | American | annikabastacky.wordpress.com
Ben Borden | American | myspace.com/solaryear
Dario Lazzaretto | Italian | dariolazzaretto.it
David Ertel | American | myspace.com/solaryear
Hideki Arichi | British | hidekiarichi.weebly.com
Ingeun Kim | South Korean | ingeunkim.com
Joseph Breikers | Australian | breikersacres.roxer.com
Lily Angotty | American | litlarottan.blogspot.com
Matthew Shelley | American | matthewgshelley.com
Mia Hochrein | German | miahochrein.de

Today there will be open studios at Nes Artist Residency. The September artist will invite guests to come and see what they have been working on over the last weeks. The studios will be open from 5pm to 8pm.

This months artist are:
Annika Bastacky | American | annikabastacky.wordpress.com
Ben Borden | American | myspace.com/solaryear
Dario Lazzaretto | Italian | dariolazzaretto.it
David Ertel | American | myspace.com/solaryear
Hideki Arichi | British | hidekiarichi.weebly.com
Ingeun Kim | South Korean | ingeunkim.com
Joseph Breikers | Australian | breikersacres.roxer.com
Lily Angotty | American | litlarottan.blogspot.com
Matthew Shelley | American | matthewgshelley.com
Mia Hochrein | German | miahochrein.de