Emily
Dicob
This fellowship will support the creation of a new series of site-responsive metalwork inspired by five Adirondack High Peaks: Mount Marcy, Algonquin, Dix, Haystack, and Whiteface. Through direct hiking and place-based study, Emily will focus on the transition of entering the woods, movement along trail corridors, and the exposed alpine landscape above 4,000 feet. These distinct summit environments—stone, ridgeline, light, and fragile plant life—will guide the forms and surfaces of the work.
For each of the five peaks, Emily will create a ring, bracelet, and necklace, resulting in fifteen new pieces developed during the fellowship year. Each set will translate the silhouette and terrain of its mountain into wearable form, using sterling silver and gold, along with materials that reflect Adirondack geology, including garnet and labradorite. The work will be rooted in traditional hand-forged practice and shaped by the specific character of these rural landscapes.
She chose this project because the High Peaks region represents a defining rural place in New York State—one where land, community, and identity are deeply connected. These mountains hold personal significance for Emily as both an artist and a resident of the Adirondack foothills. The experience of moving through these environments has long informed her metalwork, and this fellowship provides the opportunity to engage more deeply with specific peaks as sites of artistic response.
Community involvement will be central to the project’s culmination. The completed series will be shared through a public studio exhibition designed as a moment of community exchange and engagement. Invitations will include local High Peaks representatives, conservation or trail stewards, and rural cultural partners. The exhibition will also include a state-provided educational brochure on alpine preservation to encourage awareness of the fragile summit ecosystems that inspire the work. In addition, a planned virtual studio talk and social media presentation will provide access for rural audiences unable to attend in person.
This project will celebrate the creativity and resilience of rural artistic practice while honoring the Adirondack High Peaks as both landscape and cultural home.
