The Mike Goodlett Residency at House Badlett
$3,475.38
Raised
45
Donations
$50,000
Goal
“A search for a personal vision has led me to believe that my art is the language that a god would use to speak to me.”
– Mike Goodlett
It is with great excitement that we announce the inception of the Mike Goodlett Residency at House Badlett, a program imagined and made possible by the late artist. Named in part for his self-identified alter ego, the program will provide artists, writers, poets, journalists, curators, and other makers with the space, resources, and support to expand and develop their practices and careers.
Many of Goodlett’s drawings are signed with the moniker “Mike Badlett,” distinguishing candid works from more abstracted compositions. Goodlett employed the foil as a humorous way to publicly embrace hidden parts of his identity––a kind of wink at his infamously mysterious reputation. He also employed the name as his Instagram handle.
A few months prior to his death, Goodlett generously donated his home and land to Institute 193. He had long intended to create a residency program that would allow for artists to explore and create in his beloved home. Built in the early 20th century, the house remained in the family for over 90 years – beginning with Mike Goodlett’s grandparents in 1930 and ending with Mike, who moved into the house in the 1990s. For over thirty years it served as his home, studio, and sanctuary, gradually transforming into its own kind of artwork. House Badlett will preserve this legacy for posterity, maintaining Mike’s environment while looking to the future and engaging with other makers.
Tucked away in the Kentucky countryside, Mike’s place is an escape, a portal into a timeless and irreplicable world. The land is surrounded with untamed woods and tall fields of grass, each visit requiring a slow and meditative drive along a private road. The old farmhouse is adorned with Mike’s creations – ball-point pen elaborations on peeling painted walls, paper floral arrangements blooming from ceiling cracks, and curious sculptures resting like ruins in the backyard.
This house offered him almost everything he needed––a home, a studio, a blank canvas, an escape from the outside. In imagining this program, he suggested that the artists might feel like he did as a young man, like a character from Robinson Crusoe, or a castaway in landlocked Central Kentucky, surviving only on his wits. House Badlett will offer 2 - 6 week programs to writers, poets, curators, artists, and performers, tailoring each residency to the creator’s needs and ambitions.
To realize Mike’s vision while expanding our mission and create future opportunities for artists in the South is a great honor, a feat that cannot be achieved without the help of our donors and community. All donations to Institute 193 via DONORBOX are 100% tax-deductible and will be used to renovate the existing structure. In the coming months, with your support, we will be installing a new roof, HVAC system, and running water, among other basic creature comforts.
For specific details or in-kind donations, please email [email protected].
Donor Wall3
Barbara Blanfort | $100
Thank you for informing me about this beautiful project, Nathan.
Ben
Much love from RVA
Arts Magazine | $52.23