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The River of Shining Jaguars
What inspires you? What motivates you? These are two necessary questions in terms of the art and craft of writing. The following nonfiction piece attempts to decode these two questions through the narrative line: my search and quest for jaguars and ultimately my need to make new discoveries by pushing away from the crowd.
Today, I am in the northern Pantanal searching for jaguars. My boatman and I simultaneously spot two jaguars as they walk onto a fallen cambará tree—a female and her cub. I immediately recognize them as Hunter and Avi. For these two, I have mapped their lineage and know that Patricia was Hunter’s mother and Ruth was Hunter’s grandmother. Benny maneuvers the boat to 30 meters away and ties it to the bank; we watch as the mother and cub groom and snuggle each other. I am trying not to weep as I struggle to find focus through the wetness of my eyes. I have never seen such tenderness from such a powerful and gorgeous animal.
Nine years ago, on my first trip to the Amazon, I set up camera traps to photograph jaguars. They are impossible to see; so, this was my best option. I checked and rechecked my camera traps. For days and days, no luck. I had placed them carefully near the buttresses of great ceibas and left a bottle of rotten eggs and chicken feet for a scent lure. I crawled on my hands and knees to see if I would trigger the trap properly. It had been two weeks slogging through muddy trails and this was my last day. I was desperate. The cameras had to be collected.
The jaguar’s tracks led right up to the trap. I was shaking when I scrolled through the images. But there was nothing: the camera lens had fogged over and all I could see was a faint outline of ears. I sat on the ground and cried.
On the way back to camp, I was despondent. Torn up. All this work. All my dreams of photographing a wild jaguar ruined by humidity. My head drooped. Anselma, my guide, stopped short and whispered, “Onça.” Suddenly, there he was: a small male jaguar, maybe 75 kilos. The jaguar looked over his shoulder in shock and took off on a dead sprint through flooded varzea forest. Water curved in arcs behind him as he ran. It was the most beautiful scene I’d ever witnessed in the wild: his movement, his coloration, his joie de vivre.
Needless to say, I was hooked on wild jaguars.
The northern Pantanal of Brazil is one of the most fascinating locales in terms of jaguars, especially in the Parque Estadual Encontro das Aguas. Nearly the opposite of the Amazon, the habitat found in the Pantanal is a complex web of wetlands, grasslands, cerrado, gallery forests, deciduous and semi-deciduous forests. This magical combination of habitats, along with a cross-section of productive rivers, yields ample prey and excessively large jaguars. These jaguars vacillate between large and small prey depending on the season and the conditions. Many of these cats are unafraid of humans, often hunting in close proximity without fear.
We radio back in Portuguese to let the other boats know our whereabouts. I spent my time moving back and forth between my 400 and 600 mm lenses, carefully noting their behavior, their ease, their wounds. I am spellbound, lost in a blur of rosettes and whiskers and spots. I feel as if I am floating among them. Ethereal.
Strangely, I smell a slightly musty, musky odor. Hunter spies a caiman surfacing and rises to her feet. The caiman descends and Hunter lies back down. I notice Avi’s missing eye and speculate that it might be the work of Marley, the dominant male. The bite pattern is exactly the same size and shape as a male jaguar’s. I think Marley probably wants to drive Hunter into heat. I watch Hunter’s claws extend as she switches direction on the cambará tree. Her claws retract when she starts to nap. I wonder if she got the slight scar on her mouth from defending Avi from the rogue male. I wonder and wonder.
Voracious mosquitoes pull me from thought. There are boats coming in at high speed, but I don’t turn around, keeping my focus on the two jaguars. I contemplate jaguar identification and how the W forms
a distinctive pattern on Hunter’s forehead, how her left side has a single black spot near the top of her back. Over 148 jaguars have been identified in this area so far. I am amazed that my presence doesn’t bother them. They have become habituated to humans. This all started many years ago when local fishermen fed jaguars piranhas by throwing the fish to shore from their boats. The jaguars learned not to fear humans and equated them to easy food.
I turn back 20 minutes later, and more than 70 ecotourists—with their tripods and telephoto lenses—fill 22 boats. There is the metallic clicking of endless shutters. Muffled talk. Coughing. Laughter. Boat motor exhaust. The ecotourists are all mesmerized by Hunter and Avi, but the feeling of connection and solace is gone for me. Benny and I decide to leave. I am overwhelmed by the volume of human encroachment.
We head off upriver and find four jaguars hunting in endless water and hyacinths.
A darkness descends and the Cuiabá River undulates with the twisting, turning bodies of bats feeding on a million insects. Egrets and herons roost in their quietude. The night air cools, almost giving me a chill as my sweaty clothes dry from the wind as our small boat approaches camp. My eyes are full of a myriad of images from a day of observing jaguars. All things, I was told, are beautiful, but some, I argue, are more beautiful. Kant speaks of the sublime and claims it cannot be found in nature, saying there is no end point to the contemplation of art. I once agreed with Kant, but now I would argue that there is no end point to their artful beauty, no end point to my contemplation of jaguars.
In the end, my work is empowered by challenging situations and wild nature, by finding beauty within the sublime, but oftentimes that can be undermined by too many jumping on the bandwagon. Be willing to push away from conformity and be willing to find a new approach. Lose the crowds and find new creative direction.
There you will find jaguars hunting in endless water and hyacinths!
Paul
Over the last four years, I have collected loads of places for artists and writers for them to submit. These are residencies and grants from all over the world. Take a look at all the places you can submit.
To search for residencies all over the world, try transartists.org:
https://www.transartists.org/en/map
ARTJOBS. https://www.artjobs.com/
Smithsonian Art Fellowship (Sept. 2023 for Jan. 2024). Currently, due to COVID and a backlog of fellowships, it is very difficult to get an administration official to nominate you. https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/
Yosemite Renaissance Exhibit. There is $4000 in cash awards given to fine arts photographers and visual artists. The artwork must be inspired by the Sierra Nevada region. https://www.artjobs.com/open-calls/call-entries/usa/26973/yosemite-renaissance-38
Hopper Prize. For this prize, I would be in Fine Arts as it is focused more on artistic excellence and more cutting edge in terms of use of photographic techniques ($3500 and $1000 awards). https://hopperprize.org/
Mesa Residency. There is a $50 non-refundable fee. There are four residency dates per fall and spring. This residency wants “ideas on the edge” and they are seek “emerging and creative writers of books, films and other media.” https://mesarefuge.org/residencies/
Cow House Studios-Ireland Residency. These residencies are awarded to professional visual artists working in any discipline. https://cowhousestudios.com/artist-residencies/
Cove Park-Scotland Residency. 2-8 weeks on west coast of Scotland. Money given to support your stay (U.S. residencies can receive $550 pounds (roughly $628 USD) a week at the new rate). Tend to embrace more interdisciplinary work. https://covepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FUNDED-RESIDENCIES-2023_2024-APPLICATION-GUIDELINES-1-1.pdf
My materials in case you are considering applying:
Tsung-Yeh Artist Village (Taiwan City Residency). Three residencies offered at local sugar refinery. These are private studios where you can work on your photography/art. https://artres.moc.gov.tw/en/database/twContent/1c200a1b44ab4ec6a6da9e985e292f1d
Romainmôtier, Arc Artist Residency in Switzerland. Two Working Rooms with Two Private Sleeping Rooms. One Sleeping Room with Six Beds. No Cost to Stay. 4 days to 1.5 Months. http://www.artistsinresidence.ch/arc-artist-residency/
Song of the Wind. Residency in South Korea. The residencies are socially collaborative art projects. The theme is marine ecosystem and seaweed farming. 1-3 months. May – June 2024. http://songofthewind.org/open/
Joshua Tree National Park Residency (Six-week residency). https://www.jthar.com/
Glacier National Park Residency. Two artists selected yearly for up to four weeks. Your work needs to relate to the park’s interpretative themes and conservation mission and ideals. https://www.nps.gov/glac/getinvolved/air.htm
Wrangell Mountains Center Residency-McCarthy, Alaska. Two weeks. June and July. https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=11256Check out your State’s internal artists grants. In Iowa, for example, I applied for an Iowa Artist Fellowship and received it. They also have grants for specialized projects. This fellowship allowed me to work on SEM and travel to Chile to create a new book on pumas. https://iowaculture.gov/arts/grants
Stochastic Labs. $1000 a month for a residency stay but highly technical. They offer the chance to work with some of the best technical minds.https://stochasticlabs.org/residencies/
Glen Arbor Arts Center. (Deadline Feb 2, 2023 for May – October 2024). Any artist is eligible and the studio is located at Thoreson Farm in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
La Balbi Residency. Two-week to two-month residency in Montegiovi, Italy (Southern Tuscany). All fees are covered for the stay. https://resartis.org/open-call/la-baldi-residency/
Mackinac Island Artist in Residence. Sponsored by the Mackinac State Historical Parks Artist-in-Residency Program are two weeks and run from June to September. Stay at Visitor’s Center (second floor refurbished). https://www.mackinacparks.com/plan/artist-in-residence-program/
Mirante Xique-Xique Research Residency (Brazil)-A 3-week residency in Chapada Diamantina National Park. https://resartis.org/open-call/mirante-xique-xique-research-residencies-2022-23/
National Parks Arts Foundation.
•Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai’i ($3000 stipend and couples allowed.)
•Death Valley National Park ($3000 stipend and couples allowed. Air-conditioned room!) •Dry Tortugas National Park (Loggerhead Key, Great for Snorkeling and UnderwaterPhotography. Best when paired with another photographer. $3000 stipend!) •Haleakalã National Park (Maui’s Dormant Volcano for Summer 23) •Chaco Culture National Park (NW New Mexico. Only $1000 stipend. Couples allowed.) •Big Bend National Park (Texas, US-Mexico Border. $2000 stipend. Couples allowed.)
National Parks Arts Foundation
The Puffin Foundation. This grant would give you $1000 for a photography project that explores an unusual subject or allows you to do a very unusual technique. The 2024 grant cycle will close on 12/1/23.https://www.puffinfoundation.org/grants-info/
My final report materials in case you are considering applying:
Hotel Belmar Residency in Costa Rica. 2-3 Weeks at Monteverde Cloud Forest. Just remember that this is a very overdeveloped location and it is overrun by tourists. But there are places to get off the beaten trail. https://www.hotelbelmar.net/artist-residency-program-hotel-belmar/
Dorland Arts Colony. Temecula, California (300 acres of wild land). Stays from one week to three months. dorlandartscolony.org
Uncommon Art Residency. Jackson, Wyoming. Deadline: September 1, 2022 This residency, next to Grand Teton National Park, provides artists with 1-3 weeks of complimentary accommodations at The Anvil Hotel; a $200/week stipend; $200 in dining credits at Glorietta Trattoria; and access to shared studio spaces for ceramics, printmaking, and photography. In exchange, each artist offers a public talk and/or demonstration. Uncommon Art Residency
Gullkistan Residency in SW Iceland (Rolling Apps). I received this back in June 2018 and subsequently published a book from the experience. There is a nominal cost but I rented a car and used the place as a base camp for daily photography outings. I stayed three weeks but you can stay longer. Location is within an easy drive of Rejkavík. I can speak to the director for you if you are interested (Alda Sigurdardottr). https://gullkistan.is/residency/
NES Art Residency in NW Iceland (Rolling Apps). This is an international, multi-disciplinary artist residency in Skagoströnd, Iceland in NW. It is very remote and cost is nominal ($800 Euros for single room but you can pay in USD).https://neslist.is/
Jentel Visual Art Residency for Winter/Spring. Wyoming. Two dates: Roughly Jan. 15-May 13 and May 15-Dec. 13. http://jentelarts.org/
Norton Island, Maine. $45 fee.A 10-day residency in near isolation with lots of wildlife including seals. March 31 2024 deadline. https://easternfrontier.org/how-it-works
Rabbit Island. A remote island residency on Lake Superior. They offer three three-week residencies and $3000 honorariums for each. Very minimal cabin with no wifi. Off grid. https://rabbitisland.org/art/
La Napoule Art-France. Up to 8 artists at a time will stay at the Chateau de la Napoule complex in the Villa Marguerite for a month. Breakfast and dinner provided on weekdays. https://artistcommunities.org/directory/residencies/la-napoule-art-foundation-international-artist-residency
Studio Fare-France. This 2- to 4-week residency in southwest France offers a private room and I suggest fine arts photographers only apply. https://studiofaire.fr/residencies/
Sitka-Zooplankton/Residency (15 November 2023 application due). 14 days at sea. I plan on applying in the next two years. https://www.sitkacenter.org/residencies/artist-at-sea-residency
The Arctic Circle Art and Scientist Residency Program, Submit November 2023 (17 days at sea. I would suggest joining their mailing list to keep up to date at news@thearcticcircle.org
Their main site is at https://thearcticcircle.org/apply/
Theme Polar Arts Program. An Artist in Residence Program that takes you out from 2 weeks to a month on a ship for study. There is an application fee of $90 AUD and a $220 AUD residence fee and you would have to fly to the location in Australia. https://www.transartists.org/en/air/theme-polar-arts-program
Arctic Research Program. A one- to three-month residency in Greenland. Here, you would want to explore the local (Inuit) community’s connect to the arctic. https://www.transartists.org/en/air/arctic-culture-lab
Creative Capital (initial LOI due in March, second round announced July). Offers $50,000 to…develop an art project that fits into their Wild Futures theme. I am sharing my Letter of Inquiry (LOI). https://creative-capital.org/about-the-creative-capital-award/
Guggenheim (opens mid-July/August for 2023 Sept deadline). Offers $43,400 to 171 artists and writers for projects (2500 to 3000 applicants). It is extremely competitive. I have applied four times. Suggestion: have former fellows nominate you for a better chance to get selected. https://www.gf.org/how-to-apply/
Soil, The Critical Zone. Nature Art and Habitat Residency in Santa Ynez, CA and Val Taleggio, Italy. No application fees! https://nahr.it/Current-Program
Voices of the Wilderness. Sponsored by the US Forest Service, National Park Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r10/home/?cid=stelprd3820977
There are locations all over Alaska including Alaska Maritime National WR, Arctic National WR, Chugach National Forest, Koyukuk National WR, Tongass National Forest, Selawik National WR, and many more. No application fees. You will be paired with a wilderness ranger, who will travel with you and who you will assist in their work/research. Afterwards, you are expected to donate an art piece (framed photograph for example) at your own expense. I have applied twice but no luck yet!
My materials in case you are considering applying:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hqmljwqjafot84w/2023%20Application_VOTW_Brooke.pdf?dl=0