An Absent Presence: The Woman Doctor of Mount Desert reimagines the life of my seventh great-grandmother, Susanna Beal Milliken—the first recorded “doctoress” of Mount Desert Island, Maine. Like countless women's histories, Susanna's story survives only in fragments, scattered among archival documents and overshadowed by the narratives of men. In this installation, I gather these delicate threads, employing Critical Fabulation—a method of creatively reconstructing lost histories through careful blending of historical fact and imaginative fiction—to mend and illuminate her story.

Through quilting, painting, and cyanotype on reclaimed Maine textiles, I create layered landscapes where reality and imagination coexist. Each artwork is paired with a speculative journal entry, offering an intimate glimpse into Susanna's internal world—her journeys, emotions, and encounters with the landscape. Together, these pieces form a living, breathing archive, filling gaps left by history and affirming the presence of a remarkable woman whose life might otherwise remain unseen.