“Attending a residency at Watershed created a truly once in a lifetime experience for me. I came to better understand my own practice and created a network with so many truly inspiring artists. I was able to talk to them about my future goals and ideas and learn from them. It was truly incredible.”
-Jillian Blackwell, 2023 Summer Resident Artist
As maple and oak leaves begin to show off their fiery reds and yellows, we find ourselves looking back on a most memorable residency season. Eighty-three artists joined us from around the country and world, bringing with them fresh ideas and perspectives. We’re grateful for the creative energy and spirit they brought to our community during their brief time on campus. The following photos and synopses capture moments from each of our remarkable 2023 sessions.
Clay in the Expanded Field
We kicked off the ‘23 residency season with our wonderful Clay in the Expanded Field cohort. Artists brought their cross-disciplinary experiences with installation, painting, performance, fiber, and temporal work to bear in a rich exchange that explored the clay’s role contemporary art-making. The group bonded instantaneously and spent their session experimenting with other materials in conjunction with clay, exploring different firing techniques, and finding inspiration in Maine’s natural environment.
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Claudia Morales -
Session co-organizers Emily Bayless & Britney Wainwright -
Ana Popescu (l) and Renqian Yang -
Britny Wainwright's work incorporates textiles and clay. -
Katie Coughlin prepares for a salt firing. -
Porcelain work in progress by Kelly O'Briant -
Jax Yao, Claudia Morales & Mingxuan Tan prepare for a saggar firing -
Jillian Blackwell at work on modular pieces
Organized by Emily Bayless and Britny Wainwright, participating artists in the session included Jillian Blackwell, Clare Burson, Ashley Campbell, Brandi Lee Cooper, Katie Coughlin, Meredith Habermann, Jillian McEvoy, Claudia Morales, Kelly O’Briant, Ana Popescu, Taylor Shantz, Mingxuan Tan, Kirstin Willders, Renqian Yang, and Jax Yao.
Building Resilience
This residency provided an opportunity for a group of artists to re-imagine environmental resilience in their communities and creative practices. Participants worked alongside one another while discussing ways that ceramists can develop more sustainable relationships with the limited natural resources needed to make their work.
On the first day, nearly half the group found they were reading the same book: Braiding Sweetgrass. Their lively discussions and exchanges immediately began in earnest and continued as they explored personal and collaborative projects. The group also ventured offsite to dig wild clay and even processed some samples from Watershed’s back yard.
These fabulous makers also teamed up with us to create amazing meals in the Watershed kitchen when our cooking staff was in flux – a big shout out to Elysa Rose-Coster for taking the lead on meals!
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Bradley Klem's work was all smiles -
Rachael Marne Jones works on the wheel -
Sin-ying Ho applying decals -
Julia Galloway carves into a vessel -
Watershed co-founder Lynn Duryea and Trustee Sharon Townshend visit with Julia Galloway -
Molly Haynes at work -
Sin-ying Ho and Geno Lutectic at work
Organized by Holly Hanessian and Anna Metcalfe the session cohort included Julia Galloway, Tsehai Johnson, Rachael Marne Jones, Bradley Klem, Geno Luketic, Kasia Zurek-Doule, Elysa Rose-Coster, Sin-ying Ho, Anna Troszkiewicz, Jen Roos, Deborah Reichard, Molly Haynes, Charlotte Middleton, and Rose Robinson.
Embracing Change
For many of us, the past several years have been marked by considerable uncertainty due to political, cultural, environmental, and social challenges, as well as personal transitions. This session intended to provide space to explore how creative practice is influenced by periods of significant change. The artists spent a fruitful week together in the studio but their second week was cut short due to a COVID outbreak. True to the session theme, participating artists graciously rolled with this unforeseen challenge. We hope to reconnect with them again under more favorable conditions!
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Session co-organizer JoAnn Schnabel (center) at work -
Work in progress by session co-organizer Frank Pitcher -
Linda Casbon -
Work in progress by Jason Starin - an homage to the helping hands in "Labyrinth' -
Jim Lawton and Holly Walker -
Michael Foerster -
Joe Bova -
Nancy Selvin
Organized by Frank Pitcher and JoAnn Schnabel the session included participating artists Joe Bova, Linda Casbon, Christine Caswell, David East, Michael Foerster, Andrea Kliffmiller, Jim Lawton, Mary Lynagh, Nancy Selvin, Jane Shellenbarger, Holly Walker, Stephen Robison, Knaide Rosenberg, Reese Seigfried, and Jason Starin.
Research & Practice
During this session, artists divided their time between sharing ways they approach the investigations that inform their creative practices and making work alongside one another in the studio. Through whole group discussions and readings, small group conversations, and an informal staging of work in the Barkan Gallery, this group formed strong bonds and took a holistic approach to exploring their practices.
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Alecia Dawn Young -
Andrew Tieman and Neil Forrest -
Jeni Hansen Gard -
Anne Adams -
Lillian Finkel (left) and Danielle Hawk (right) -
Session organizer Bridget Fairbank -
Artists gather for conversation -
Work by Amélie Proulx in the Barkan Gallery -
Work by Amanda Bury in the Barkan Gallery -
A celebratory group moment!
Organized by Bridget Fairbank, this session’s participating artists included Anne Adams, Amanda Bury, Katie Chin, Rachel de Condé, Lilian Finckel, Neil Forrest, Jennifer Hansen Gard, Danielle Hawk, Adriana Lemus, Samara Yandell, Amélie Proulx, Lindsay Rogers, Andrew Tieman, Alana Wilson, and Alecia Dawn Young.
Collectivity
Our final 2023 summer residency session facilitated opportunities to form creative community during a non-stop two weeks on campus. The seventeen very prolific resident artists made the most of their time in the studio, with folks working at all hours of the day and night. Outside the studio, they fired salt kilns, dug and processed local clay, pit fired work, staged a ‘Pottery Throw Down’ competition, danced late into the evening, and held a karaoke night. Their time together culminated with a spectacular potluck dinner featuring collaborative dishes inspired by the artists’ cultures of origin. The menu included challah, carne asada, gourmet nachos, saffron ice cream and many other sweet and savory treats.
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'Collectivity' artists celebrate their collaborative feast -
Kiran Joan, Shay Gerassy, Sahar Tarighi, Zelda Mayer, Mackenzie Pikart and Maggie Jones -
Vani Aguilar -
Michelle Im -
Zelda Mayer & Wendy Eggerman working outdoors -
Shay Gerassy checks the salt kiln temp -
Jenny Ibsen -
Armando Minjarez -
Raheleh Filsoofi processing wild Maine clay
Session guest artists Armando Minjárez, Michelle Im & Raheleh Filsoofi were joined by Shay Gerassy, Frances Iadarola, Alyson Brandes, Mackenzie Pikaart, Lisa Larson-Walker, Jenny Ibsen, Sahar Tarighi, Wendy Eggerman, Abril Robbins, Vani Aguilar, Kiran Joan, Sun Park, Maggie Jones, and Zelda Mayer.
We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with every artist who helped shape the 2023 residency season. Plans for 2024 are already underway with more details coming this fall!