For the past six weeks, interdisciplinary artists Georgia b. Smith and Zelda Smith have been immersed in the campus community, collaborating with students and staff to explore the intersection of art, technology and narrative as the university’s latest Artists-in-Residence.
With SUNY Oneonta as their home base, the duo developed the first iteration of an evolving performance art project that asks: “How do we form our identity as humans?” and investigates the relationships between human bodies and technology, storytelling and artificial intelligence.
Bringing together students, faculty and staff from across disciplines—including art, dance, theatre and music—their work culminated in a powerful final performance, “The Uncanny Body,” staged inside the Hamblin Theatre.
The 20-minute performance incorporated sound, light, movement and sculpture, with the focal point being a large, bone-like wooden “totem,” topped with two ceramic structures resembling human lungs. These elements were built and/created using campus studios and spaces.
A Living Sculpture
During “The Uncanny Body,” six student dancers climbed the movable totem, swaying and turning to an experimental soundtrack. In the background, two large canvases displayed a series of thought-provoking questions, followed by projected, rippling lightworks that were created by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Assistant Professor of Architecture Yael Erel.
“I wrote, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered the music for the dance,” said Music Industry student Rockwell Norris, a senior from West Edmeston, NY. “It was spectacular to work alongside both Zelda and Georgia, and the process has helped me learn a bit more where the line between my musical ‘insanity’ and directions from a commission meet.”
Zelda and Georgia, who are sisters, were selected as the School of Liberal Arts and Business’ Spring 2025 Artists-in-Residence through a competitive process led by Art, Music and Theatre faculty. The joint residency marked a first for the program: two artists working in tandem, merging their distinct backgrounds—earth-based sculpture and robotic performance design—into a singular artistic vision.
“Having Zelda and Georgia here has been transformative,” said SUNY Oneonta Gallery Director Sarah Simpson, who coordinated the logistics of the residency. “They have exemplified what our Artist-in-Residence program strives to do: create space for cross-pollination between disciplines, invite students into the process of professional artmaking and what that can look like, and bring contemporary, boundary-pushing work into the campus community.”
Collaboration Across Campus
During their residency, Zelda and Georgia worked closely with students, sharing their knowledge, creative processes and past work during classes, lectures and workshops. They attended student performances, offered feedback, and served as jurors for the annual Juried Student Show, which showcases student artwork.
“It feels exciting to be creating something so interdisciplinary,” Georgia said. “Having such great facilities and talking to students across the academic spectrum has been wonderful! The Fine Arts building is really laid out for collaboration across departments, as well, which has been great.”
Students Lexi Rockefeller, Eve Mead and Jess Mulholland served as residency interns. Rockefeller, a junior Digital and Studio Art major from Bloomville, NY, and Mulholland, a junior Adolescence Education major and Theatre minor from Queens, NY, helped build pieces of the set, while Mead, a junior Art and Design major from Poughkeepsie, NY, helped document, record and photograph the process.
“Working with them has given me wonderful insight into how other artists work, a more hands-on involvement with performance art, and first-hand experience working with dancers for an art piece,” Mead said.
“It has been so cool to work with both of these very talented artists, and being able to put together a show in such a short time,” said Mulholland, who also performed in the show. “It's also amazing to be able to perform on stage for the first time here at Oneonta. I am so grateful for this opportunity!”
After the residency ends, the Smith sisters will continue to develop “The Uncanny Body,” and they hope to stay in touch with the students they’ve met.
“I really enjoy working with young creatives because I remember these interactions shaping my own career and trajectory,” Zelda said, “and this feels like a small way of giving back and fostering the creative community of the future. ...We've been impressed with everyone we've worked with, from the motivated students to the supportive professors. We had an ambitious project, and SUNY Oneonta rose to meet us there."
View Photos from the Rehearsal View Photos from the Show
Photography by Digital and Studio Art students, Alyssa Antoni '25, Sean Eaves '26, and John Bugyi '03