Fall Residency

Any artist who is comfortable working independently in a ceramics studio may apply to join the Fall Residency. Watershed is committed to creating an equitable and welcoming space for all to explore creative practice. 

Beginning in 2022, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts is building residency session cohorts through an application-based model, rather than on a first-come, first-served basis. This change reflects our intention to create a more equitable resident artist application process. Through this new model, Watershed can intentionally develop a more representative and inclusive resident artist community.

Prerequisites:

Instruction is not provided during residency sessions. Artists must feel comfortable working independently in a clay studio. Watershed offers workshops for artists looking for instruction in clay.

Due to the pandemic, participating artists are required to have a personal vehicle with them during the Fall Residency in order to shop for food and/or leave campus when necessary.

Selection Criteria: 

• Watershed endeavors to create sessions that include a mix of emerging, mid-career, and established artists, with preference given to those who have not been to Watershed before. 
  
• Consideration is given to the artists’ commitment to their practice and the alignment between what the Fall Residency offers and what the artist hopes to gain from participating in the session.

Application Requirements

In addition to contact information, applicants must submit three images of recent work, a CV or written description of their experience related to their creative practice, a statement about their work, and a statement of interest explaining why they’d like to take part in a Watershed session. 

• Application Deadline: June 15
• Application Fee: $15

All residency fees are subsidized thanks to the generous support from our donors. The total cost to support an artist at Watershed for the four week Fall Residency is $3200. Watershed does not require any resident artist to pay this cost in full. The donor-subsidized fee that artists are asked to cover is the combined total of the residency fee and the housing fee. See below for details.

2022 Residency Fee

$1,200

This fee covers 24-hour access to Watershed’s state-of-the-art studio, glaze room and spray booth, plaster room, and kilns. Artists receive a dedicated studio space and have unlimited use of studio equipment, including tables, wheels, ware boards, slab rollers, an extruder, clay mixers, a pug mill, and plentiful shelving. They also have full access to common rooms, and the Watershed kitchen, with wifi available in the studio and housing.

2022 Housing Fees: 

$700 – $1,600, depending on housing selection and placement. Read more about our housing options in the tab below.

Material & Firing Fees

Artists pay material fees on a per-use basis. Firing fees are divided among those using the kilns. Artists pay their material and firing fees on the last day of the residency session. Typically, an artist can expect to incur $200-$300 in material and firing costs. However, this figure varies based on usage.  

Along with the expenses listed above, resident artists are also responsible for their own travel expenses, food, and packing/shipping of work.

Payment Due Dates

• $200 deposit: Due upon registration after acceptance to the residency session. The deposit is applied against the residency fee. This is not an additional charge.
• Remaining balance: due August 15

Payment methods: Watershed accepts personal checks and credit cards. You may mail a check to 103 Cochran Road, Edgecomb, ME 04556.  Payments via credit card can be made through our online portal.

Refund policy: For cancellations 30 or more days prior to the start of the residency session, a full refund will be given – less the $200 deposit and a $50 processing fee. For cancellations less than 30 days prior to the residency session, no refunds will be given but tuition and fees may be applied to a future residency or workshop within the next year.

A limited number of work-exchange positions are available for artists in need of financial support to attend the Fall Residency. In exchange for 10 hours of work per week, work-exchange resident artists receive a $700 discount on their fees, for a total cost of $1200 for the residency and housing in a double occupancy room.

The work exchange discount covers residency fee-related items, including housing and studio space. Recipients are responsible for travel expenses, material and firing fees, food, and packing/shipping of work.

Work exchange resident artists perform a variety of tasks on campus, from clerical work and assistance with event planning to grounds keeping, studio maintenance, cleaning, and organizing.

Applicants may request consideration to receive a work exchange position in their residency application and provide supporting materials to determine eligibility. Applications are due June 15 and recipients are notified of their session placements and awards by mid-July.

During the Fall Residency, artists live in Watershed’s modern, rustic cabins, which are heated and insulated. Options include single or double occupancy rooms with shared or private baths.

For shared rooms, artists may request a particular roommate or have Watershed assign them a roommate of the same gender. Please contact us if you have individual questions about roommate assignments and options.

Typically, three to five resident artists share an all-gender bathroom. Bathroom facilities have locks on the doors and can be used by one individual at a time, much like a bathroom in a home.

Rooms with shared baths have twin beds; rooms with private baths are furnished with a full sized bed and a twin bed. Participating artists should bring their own sheets, blankets and/or comforters. Watershed provides mattress pads and pillows. All rooms have armoires and additional storage for clothing and personal belongings.

Watershed staff do their best to accommodate residents artists’ housing preferences, but single rooms and private bathrooms are limited.

FOOD

Resident artists supply their own food and cook for themselves during the Fall Residency. They have full access to Watershed’s large kitchen in Thompson Hall, as well as access to the kitchenette in the Windgate Studio. Artists may choose to cook as a group or independently. Nearby grocery stores and natural food stores provide plentiful options.

The following links provide further details on how to prepare for and what to expect during the Fall Residency:

• Residency General Info
• Frequently Asked Questions
• COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines
• Campus Tour (slideshow)