UETF Artist Resiliency Residency Spotlight: Sophia Fricke

The National Institute of Flamenco is proud to be one of five organizations working together with the Urban Enhancement Trust Fund (UETF) to facilitate artist residencies for the UETF Artist Resiliency Residency Program. Keep an eye on our newsletters and social media for announcements and updates from our 18 resident artists!

Sophia Fricke walked the Pacific Crest Trail, or PCT, in 2021 after earning a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of California, Davis. Sophia had hiked the John Muir Trail and Tahoe-Yosemite Trail in 2020, giving her restless feet an itch for a longer journey. She is deeply passionate about the complex relationship between people, culture, and land that is an integral pulse behind all life on earth. In her photographic work, she returns to the theme of skies over mountains to reflect the freedom and spiritual sense of peace and perspective that the mountains give to her. She enjoys the creative challenge of conveying not only the shapes, colors, and geometry of these places, but also their mood and the role they play as a rock that anchors her throughout the many phases of life. In the spring of 2022, Sophia was awarded a UETF Resiliency Residency with the National Institute of Flamenco as her partner organization. After completing the PCT in 2021, she spent time exploring the New Mexican wilderness. Particularly, Sophia has been fascinated by the cultural geography in this region of the North American southwest. She is creating a five-part virtual exhibit to document these explorations, and will post updates on her blog. Follow Sophia on Instagram (@snoelf_wandering).