About

Rockland was founded in 2015 by the team of Jodi Rockwell (she/her) and Shawn Landis (he/him). We began Rockland Residency to share what we have as fellow-artists with an understanding of what artists need to authentically create and add to culture. Jodi is a potter, mother, partner, educator, artist, organizer and all things administrative for Rockland. Shawn is an artist, contractor, designer, community builder, father, coach and partner. Together, our skills and curiosity bring interesting people into our life.

Located on the Kitsap Peninsula across the Salish Sea from Seattle, Rockland Woods is on native Suquamish land, nestled on 20 acres of 100-year old, second growth forest with lake access. The climate is lush and damp with seasonal wildlife and flora. Owls, beer, deer, coyote, frogs, ferns, cedars, skunk cabbage, trillium flowers, Rhododendron trees, moss (!), bleeding hearts, bats, native yellow lily, native blackberry, maples, Douglas Fir…and more! Belfair, WA, is the nearest small town at the southern tip of the Hood Canal.

Land Acknowledgement

Written by the Suquamish Tribe

“Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished.”

Chief Seattle  1854

We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is within the ancestral territory of the suq̀ʷabš “People of Clear Salt Water” (Suquamish People). Expert fisherman, canoe builders and basket weavers, the suq̀ʷabš Suquamish Tribe live in harmony with the lands and waterways along Washington’s Central Salish Sea as they have for thousands of years. Here, the suq̀ʷabš live and protect the land and waters of their ancestors for future generations as promised by the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855.

Mission

Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a goal, Rockland strives to provide the base layers of the pyramid (food, shelter, love, belonging, safety) to enable its residents the possibility of reaching its peak of “Self-Actualization”. 

Rockland continues to navigate and understand where our role lies in dismantling systems of oppression within the arts community. To promote equity, we have a policy of forming a Selection Committee with representatives from BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities. We ask our friends and organizations within these communities to post our Call to Artists, and we keep our residency free to provide greater access to all income levels.

We are committed to offering opportunity to dedicated artists with competitive work samples at any stage in their career. We do not ask for a resume, aware that notable institutions can perpetuate inequitable access. Instead, we look at the work itself.

Hybrid Business Model

To make this a sustainable project, Rockland’s hybrid business model of short-term rental supports our residencies to remain free to artists. Want to support Rockland and the artist involved? Join us in the woods, rent from us through Air BnB!

Professional Development