Sejny

The painting team arrived in Sejny last week to set up the work site and put finishing touches on the pendentives before joining the second student group for a few days in Vilnius, Lithuania. The whole group has now returned to Sejny, where we are starting to learn the complex history of this small town and the space in which we are working.

We are joined this session by students from Antioch College, Chicago Art Institute and Harper College, chaperoned by Charlie Roderick and Sara Black. This morning, after presentations from Jan Stanisław Kap, the mayor of Sejny, Krzysztof Czyżewski, the director of Borderlands and Nitzan Reisner from the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, everyone got busy mixing paints and gessoing the cove panels.

After work, we return to what we are starting to refer to as “summer camp.” Our residence is large manor house situated on one of the many lakes dotting the countryside around Sejny. Evenings are made up of soccer, bonfires, storytelling, swimming, fishing…. plus amazing catered food!