The ARQ Community

Our intentional community has included hundreds who have studied or worked in an ARQ space over the last 25+ years.

Scroll down to meet our current cast of ARQtists

Scroll down further to see “Our Alumni” from past years

ARQ is a multi-generational experiment. Started by David Van Nostrand in the mid-1990s. The property transferred to his daughters Alex &
Zoë Van Nostrand in 2023.

Picture on the Left - David Van Nostrand, Alex Van Nostrand, and Zoë Van Nostrand at the 2016 Summer Jam “The Mothership has Landed” hosted at ARQ.

Picture Above - A Celebration of Life hosted at ARQ in memory of David. K. Van Nostrand (1950-2023) in July 2023, attended by hundreds of family, friends and community members.

The ARQ Community

ARQ Co-owners, Property Managers, Dreamers, Visionaries, Sisters, and history holders

A smiling woman with brown eyes holds a branch of cream colored apple blossoms close to her face.

Alex Van Nostrand

ARQ Logistics & Community Support, Wild Child & Woodland Wanderer

alexandravannostrand@gmail.com

Drawing inspiration from roads less traveled in the Finger Lakes and beyond, Alex’s colorful life of adventure is her primary art form.  A certified nature-nerd, she’s also excited by community organizing, local art, creating safe spaces, herding metaphorical cats and very real dogs.

After growing up at ARQ, Alex has been living back in the community since 2016.

Expedition leader with National Geographic - Lindblad Expeditions, former co-founder of Wild Child Freeschool. Mutual Aid Tompkins.

A woman with blonde hair stands in a field of sunflowers, hugging a bouquet of them to her chest while she smiles.

Zoë Van Nostrand

ARQ Logistics & Finances, History-keeper, & Tamer of Grand Ideas, Community Collaborations

zvannostrand@gmail.com

Zoë is a passionate student of global textile traditions, and expresses her creativity as a textile student in a range of practices and mediums, as a local historian and exhibit curator, forager, community builder, digital design and web design through Zoë Wonders Designs.

After growing up at ARQ, Zoë has been living back in the community since 2015.

Board Member with Ithaca Murals, former Board Member Ithaca Public Education Initiative. Zoë believes in supporting her community during all her free time. Find her at: Ulysses Historical Society, Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, Grassroots Art Barn, and Taste of the Finger Lakes.

Current ARQtists in Residence

2025 Cast of Characters

  • Alex Van Nostrand

    ARQ Logistics & Community Support, Wild Child & Woodland Wanderer

    writer, environmentalist, traveler, harvester, photographer

    www.alexvannostrand.com

  • Zoë Van Nostrand

    ARQ Logistics & Finances, History-keeper, & Tamer of Grand Ideas

    textile & fiber arts - Sustainable Spinster, herbalist, forager, digital design & web design (Zoë Wonders Designs)

  • Chris Langenberg

    Ironworker, gardener, property management, baker, resident MacGyver

    Owner of “The Metal Shops” - member of Straffan Forge Collective

  • Durand Van Doren

    (semi-retired)

    master blacksmith, ironworker, Trumansburg Youth Commissioner

    Durand’s Forge & International School of Blacksmithing

  • Teo Aceto

    blacksmith, ironworker, stonemason

    Contact: 607-592-6519

    Crepuscular Forge, and staff with Lipari Stone & Garden

  • Deb Cole

    jeweler, custom design, yoga teacher

    Deborah Cole Jewelry

  • Andrew Groner

    dichroic glass, cold glass carving, stained glass

    AJGglass

    Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AJGglass

  • Jake Hallagan

    Carpenter, custom cabinet builder

    Hallagan Gould Cabinetry

  • Ben Gould

    Carpenter, custom cabinetry, musician

    Hallagan Gould Cabinetry

  • Dan Strano

    hand forged Damascus knives, head chef

    Straffan Forge Knife Collective

  • Jim Holahan

    blacksmith, knife-maker

    Straffan Forge Knife Collective

  • Seth Palmer

    carpenter, builder

    Salvage Design and founder of Ithaca Nut Butter

  • Caleb T. Smith

    map maker, aspiring farmer, tinkerer, discoverer, green energy planning

    Mecklenburg Pond Park Grounds Committee

  • A woman has a straw hat pulled down over her face, she stands in front of a tree trunk holding a many lobed Reishi mushroom with a glossy brown cap, and creamy full edges.

    Stacey Estabrook

    wild mushroom educator, portraiture, gardener, chef, musician

    FLX Mushrooms

  • Diane Cohen

    writer, creative, tinkerer, community builder

EXPLORE THE ART

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EXPLORE THE ART ⋆

ARQtist & CRAQhead Community Alumni

here for a season or more…

David Van Nostrand - ARQ Founder in the Black Oak studio ca. 2009.

Scott Seidts in the house kitchen.

Aaron Arlinghaus (Haus Leather); Claire Green, and Ben Marlan (Dear Ceremony). 2013.

Dan Watson - Wooden drum workshop in Milkweed Studio ca. 2016.

Elissa Hine ca. 2013.

Ryan B. Curtis

(From the left) Zoë Van Nostrand, Scott Seidts, Alex Van Nostrand, Lyndsey Karr, David Van Nostrand, Durand Van Doren, on the front porch of the Carman Farm House, ca. 2010.

Chris Langenberg and Noah Cook ca. 2016.

Chris Langenberg, Johnno Potts, David Van Nostrand, David Parker, Teo Aceto - all gathered for the wedding of Aaron Arlinghaus and Claire Green.

there are more… we know there are more, but it's been decades, and we were kids for the first decade+ folks came through...reach out with additions or corrections. 

  • ARQ founder & visionary, builder, sculptural woodworker & gardener (deceased)

  • While at ARQ: electrician, musician, performance, sound

  • While at ARQ: Dino Newman, Dreamy Trees, painter, sculptor, handyman, tilework, plumbing, property care

    DJ Obvious Objects, Cayuga Arts Collective, coordinator Ithaca Drawing Group

  • While at ARQ: leatherworker, party-maker, dance captain

    HAUS Leather

  • While at ARQ: handyman, exterior painting, center of the dance party

  • While at ARQ: painter, sculptor, DJ, producer, fashionista

    Route 414 Vintage, DJ Obvious Objects, Ellipses, Perpetual Validation

  • While at ARQ: photographer

  • While at ARQ: sculptural ironwork

    Parker Studios

  • While at ARQ: musician and painter

    Album: ‘Waiting for Light’ written while living at ARQ

  • While at ARQ: musician

  • While at ARQ: dancer, gardener, performance art, academic, massage therapist

  • While at ARQ: painter, childrens book writer

    Ryan B. Curtis

  • While at ARQ: chef, event productions, lighting innovator

    Here’s To You Catering, Doomsday Pasta, and collaborator on Tidal Wave music video.

  • While at ARQ: seamster, leather worker

    Timmermade

  • While at ARQ: metalworker, motorcycle mechanic

  • While at ARQ: musician, builder, fabricator

  • While at ARQ: painter, animal portraiture

    Lisa Baechtle Artist

    (deceased)

  • While at ARQ: chef & new mama

  • While at ARQ: seamstress, textile arts

  • While at ARQ: chainsaw sculptor

    www.badasswood.etsy.com

  • While at ARQ: wood carver

  • While at ARQ: jeweler

  • While at ARQ: weaver, textile artist

  • While at ARQ: carpenter, musician, farmer

  • While at ARQ: tech wizard

  • While at ARQ: electrician, builder

    (deceased)

  • While at ARQ: painter

    https://www.joecarrozzo.com/

  • While at ARQ: midwife

  • While at ARQ: metal drums

  • While at ARQ: herbalist

  • While at ARQ: Band recording studio

    https://www.donnathebuffalo.com/

  • Item description

  • ironworker, musician

  • musician

  • Item description

  • While at ARQ: woodsman

  • While at ARQ: folk art woodcarver, digital design

    Bethany Parisi Designs

  • While at ARQ: music, energy work

  • ecologist, old time musician