Kristina Dutton
Kristina Dutton creates lyrical, observational works that bridge intellectual curiosity with sensory experience. Her practice combines field recording, composition, film, scientific collaboration, and philosophical inquiry.
Drawing upon her conservatory training and work in science journalism, the medium and approach to each project are driven by the questions at hand.
Projects have included Creek College, a multi-year environmental collaboration supported by Portland State University and indigenous organizations; Ice Hours, a collaborative multimedia Antarctic exploration; and Nanoscapes Films, exhibited at film festivals and museums internationally. Her musical work spans genres and includes contributions to over 50 recordings, with performances at venues from Chicago's Symphony Center to Lollapalooza to The David Letterman Show.
Her projects have received support from organizations including New Music USA and The Andy Warhol Foundation. She grew up in Chicago and now lives at the edge of Point Reyes National Seashore, where she stewards four acres of Douglas fir forest.
Caerula
Caerula is a song cycle created by composer Kristina Dutton in collaboration with bio-acoustics non-profit Ocean Conservation Research (OCR). Hundreds of hours of field recordings made available through OCR and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) will shape the conceptual and material layers of the song cycle, revealing the incredible sound world of our ocean and current threats to its health. Caerula aims to create an empathic experience using sound as the key sense of understanding.
Nanoscapes
Nanoscapes is an animated short film series based on an art and science collaboration. The experimental shorts use sound and animated images to explore the world of evolutionary biology on the nanoscopic scale. The project is a collaboration between composers Kristina Dutton and Nate Kinsella, the string ensemble Mivos Quartet and percussion group Tigue, animator Brandon MacFarland, and a team of scientific advisors and microscopists. The project is an artistic reimagining of exciting new research from the Martin Lab of Developmental Biology at George Washington University, which specializes in the evolution of butterflies and moths. The Martin lab’s discoveries are directly related to an understanding of our own origins, and the films will be released alongside the publication of the lab’s work.
FURY
FURY is an immersive concert experience, fusing the music of indie pop band YASSOU + Kristina Dutton with dance performed by principals from two world class ballet companies, San Francisco Ballet and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. The concert takes us on a musical journey inspired by the iconic movie, "Mad Max - Fury Road".
The creative team behind FURY includes James Jackson and Lilie Hoy of YASSOU, Kristina Dutton - Composer, Kate Duhamel - Producer, Danielle Rowe - Choreographer, Luke Acret - Creative Director, Vasily Vein - Costume Designer, Brandon McFarland - Art Director, and Lighting Designer Michael Straun.
Principal dancers from SFBallet, Dores Andre, Frances Chung, Luke Ingham, and Jennifer Stahl-Weitz, and from LINES Ballet, Adji Cissoko, Babatunji, and Michael Montgomery
Creek College
Creek Colleges are experimental schools that bridge art and environmental education. We offer a range of free art courses to local community in exchange for aid in the restoration of watersheds suffering from environmental degradation. Our goal is to create an experiential learning environment that combines art and stewardship with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity.
Creek College originated in the form of a question; how can we, as artists, make the broadest impact in aiding restoration efforts? We began to ask; can a poem benefit a creek? In what ways can sound, dance, sculpture, design, and other art practices bring attention to creek restoration? We partner with local watershed councils and ecologists to develop our barter system. Our classes are designed by local artists- many working at the intersection of art and conservation- for various ages, interests, and skill levels In this way, the project creates a broad cultural context for diverse groups to connect, share, and examine the needs of the environment.
