Mining the Motherlode
Poem Films • 9m 56s
A film based on a poem by Andy Wilkinson about the diminishing Ogalala Aquifer. Mining the Motherlode is an animated exploration of the themes explored by Andy Wilkinson’s poem of the same name. The film is not a literal adaptation of the poem. Rather, it attempts to provide a counter-harmony to Andy's words, reflecting the essence of the poet's vision, just as the poem itself reflects the essence of the diminishing waters of the Ogalala.
Poem by Andy Wilkinson. Directed by Jeremy Boreing. Illustrated by Rebecca Shapiro. From the "Moving Rural Verse" series of poem films.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Andy Wilkinson, a poet, songwriter, singer, and playwright, has recorded 12 albums of original music and has written eight plays: among them Charlie Goodnight’s Last Night, My Cowboy’s Gift, and The Soul of the West (written with Red Steagall). His work has received several awards, including seven National Western Heritage “Wrangler” Awards. Artist-in-Residence at the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University, he also teaches in both the School of Music and the Honors College.
Jeremy Boreing is a filmmaker and media entrepreneur operating out of Hollywood. His most recent feature film, The Arroyo, is a modern Western exploring the violence and lawlessness on America’s southern border.
Rebecca Shapiro is a Los Angeles-based graphic artist. She attended Otis College of Art and Design, where she honed her illustration and digital painting skills. Recently Rebecca worked on the DreamWorks animated series Trollhunters, which will be released on Netflix in December 2016. Currently Rebecca works as an artist at Forward Publishing.
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Produced by the Western Folklife Center in 2017.
Made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, ArtPlace America, the Community Foundation of Utah, Western Folklife Center stakeholders, and by the multitude of staff, artists, volunteers, and community members working behind the scenes.
Brought to you by the Western Folklife Center, using story and cultural expression to connect the American West to the world.
www.westernfolklife.org
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