A Second Chapter for the Ranch and for us
Singing Hills Ranch's first chapter began as the homestead of two well known, mid-century photo journalists who had escaped the rise of fascism in Germany, Hansel Mieth and Otto Hagel. They believed in social justice and used their work to bring attention to the plight of immigrants, migrant workers, the downtrodden and the laborers who were building the United States during and after the great depression. Hansel was the second female photographer hired by Life magazine. Among their friends and contemporaries were Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, Marguerite Wildenhain, Ruth Asawa, Edward Weston and Peter Stackpole. They were part of the original group of artists who participated in Pond Farm and the ranch was a regular gathering place for many artists and thinkers of the time.
We purchased the property in 2019 from their caretaker, Georgia Brown. It's our dream to create an arts center where people come not simply to visit, but to participate — to create, to support, to work, gather, collaborate, break bread, tell stories, and leave invested in what this place can become. We want to build this dream in collaboration with the community.
It is still early. The buildings are modest. The work is ongoing. But the land already carries a deep sense of history and purpose, and we hope you'll help us write that second chapter.
