Rebuilding my art school

Rebuilding my art school - exception and resilience following violence and abuse

In a context of violence against women, my sculpture studio has been totally destroyed after 25 years of professional practice at a national and international artistic level.

My story is the story of many women who refuse physical submission.

This is the story of exceptional women who fight to create and express their liberty. This is the story of women who refuse to lose their rights to realize their dreams on a professional level.

Telling this story today allows me to be reborn and live again.

It is also a way of paying tribute to all creative women in difficulty because they chose to remain upright in their creative conduct.

As a nurse, I had then given up everything in 2000 after a burn-out to realize my passion after 10 years of work in hospital.

25 years of intensive work standing outside in all weathers, on monumental stone blocks. And international recognition of my work.

The destruction suffered was total, I was never compensated and the consequences have been be dramatic on my life.

It was my students and the teaching of sculpture that saved me.

After more than 3 years of complex post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD, I am proud today to have finally regained the strength to be born again and rebuild my school and work structure.

I was able to relocate all my equipments, my entire school and my work structure as a matter or urgency.

Luckily, I was able to set up two shipping containers at the Carrières d’Arvel, a still active quarry located in Villeneuve, on the shores of Lake Geneva, so that I could get back to teaching and resume my creative works as soon as possible.

Today, I am asking for your help through this crowdfunding campaign, the aim of which is to finance the necessary work for assembling my two containers under one roof and converting them into a functional and heated classroom easily accessible for my students.

The Carrières d’Arvel are a historic stone quarry renowned for the quality of its raw material. The place is superb, surrounded by a powerful natural environnment, The deep energy of the stone is quite extraordinary, perfectly suited for teaching and creating very imaginative artworks.

For people who do not know me, you can watch hereafter the Swiss Television documentary on my works « Dompter la pierre » in « Passe-moi les jumelles » RTS

My project is absolutely unique - an exceptional resilience

On one hand, being able to work, create and teach in a quarry still in operation is quite exceptional in French-speaking Switzerland.

Presently, no other local authority provides a proper art studio for stone sculpture.

I am talking about a place where it is possible and normal to perform rather noisy and dusty work with appropriate tools. There are no more artisanal areas for sculptors nor stone craftsmen left and all my creative colleagues have difficulties finding places to work, whether in stone or pure creation.

The defence of the culture traditions and skills of stone carving is on the way out. At a time when everything is virtual, the tradition and know-how about the tools are the only guardians of the values of our civilisation, of the intelligence of the hand and the heart, of the quality of man’s link with the real material world.

Maintaining quality teaching in such a context is crucial. On the other hand, as fas as my classroom is concerned, the container option is perfectly suited to the environment. It is discret, modular, and can be completely dismantled. The unit is secure by the very nature of its metal structure. It provides a warm place to work when the weather makes it impossible to work outside, and offers the level of safety required in the middle of a quarry in operation.

My aim is to be self-sufficient in water and electricity in the long term, and I soon hope to add solar panels and a rainwater recovery system.

My sculpture school has been running for over 23 years in French-speaking Switzerland. Many students have attended my classes. My teaching is unique, favouring an integrative approach to perceiving and expressing volume in a highly personalised way. This allows me to go straight to the heart of the imagination, feelings and creativity.

Stone is a fantastic material. High quality, beauty, structure, timelessness, evocative of territories and landscapes - so many elements that reinforce both perception and aesthetics.

Sculpting is a tactile experience, enhancing observation and patience, qualities that are essential for creating unique and meaningful works of art.

Sculpting is a form of meditation, fostering a deep connection between the creator and his/her work, while boosting self-confidence and serenity.

You can see below some works of my students and feel the ambiance of my courses (ancient workshop):

Use of the funds

Having been hit very hard by the destruction suffered, my energy and motivation have nevertheless remained intact.

I need your help today to finance the materials needed to transform my two containers and rebuilt my school.

Reinforcing the internal structures, cutting out openings in the containers, fitting a troughed steel roof on metal frames, insulating against cold and condensation, fitting plasterboards, painting, fitting heating and ventilation, electrical ducts and sockets, fitting windows, laying doors and waterproofing the floor, fitting a cross beam for a hoist, treating the outside surfaces of the containers to prevent rust, crane lifting costs, draining the ground.

The work will be carried out mainly by myself to keep costs as low as possible. The project file including the containers is available on request by mail at n.delhaye@bluewin.ch

The whole building site will be filmed by the cameraman Jean Etienne Allet / Makila, who made the presentation video.

Every stage of the project will be photographed and filmed to create a written and visual record to be published as both a book and a film.