Summer has officially given way to fall and Watershed is winding down after an incredible season. In addition to our annual Salad Days fundraising event, we hosted six residency sessions. These residencies brought roughly 100 artists from all over the country and world to Watershed, filling our campus with so much light, art, and community. Take this moment to reflect, with gratitude, with us on a summer of connection and creativity.
Session I: Embodied Perception, June 3-14
Our first residency began, fittingly, as lilacs, hydrangeas, and other early-summer flora bloomed around campus. Embodied Perception immersed artists in the natural environments surrounding them. Artists’ processes were guided by mindfulness, sensory engagement, and site-specific work. Residents took part in “forest bathing,” an immersive meditation experience, in Watershed’s forests. Many collected natural elements like grass and pinecones to imprint in their work, while others created outdoor installations around the studio.
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Mireille Perron scatters clay ticks and acorns throughout the woods surrounding Watershed -
Stephanie Martin traces botanical imprints into her work -
Charlotte Smith works on an installation piece in the wood pile near the studio -
Claire Resnick crafts textured pinch pots
Organized by: Bonita Kline & Marilyn Perry, with participating artists Jeff Downing, Hana Balaban-Pommier, Gilly Lugo, Sara Fine-Wilson, Claire Resnick, Clarissa Yeap, Mireille Perron, Leslie Gomez-Gonzalez, David Vuong, Hannah Langer, Melanie Zurba, Stephanie Martin, Emily Geaslin, and Charlotte Smith.
Session II: Digital Clay, June 17-28
For just under two weeks, the Windgate Studio was transformed into a whirring, beeping hub of machinery. This residency combined the artistry of clay with technological play, utilizing equipment like 3D printers and modeling programs to create work. Residents worked with each other to share codes, software, and troubleshooting advice. The result was a session full of collaborative hybrid work in a rapidly developing branch of ceramics and digital fabrication.
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Residents gather to watch a 3D printer work -
Organizer Tasha Lewis places tracking nodes -
Residents let their digitally fabricated work dry -
Residents celebrate the end of a successful residency -
Ike Lobel carefully monitors his printing machine
Organized by: Tasha Lewis, with participating artists Eliza Au, Jackie Brown, Mark Meier, Audrey An, Bryan Czibesz, Wade MacDonald, Matthew Glaysher, Charles Smith, Stacy Jo Scott, Ellen Schon, Ike Lobel, Nik Putnam, Jennifer Masley, Fallon Navarro, Julianna Dougherty, and Ryan Yu.
Session III: Red-Handed, July 1-12
Watershed was delighted to welcome back 2024 Salad Days Artist Jeremiah Ibarra to co-organize a residency with Tom Doyle. The pair lead their session in exploring themes of humor and light-heartedness through the medium of red clay. The resulting work was refreshingly playful and cheery. Artists crafted scenic tiles, grocery list mugs, cartoonish illustrations, and word scramble letters. Several artists even extended their stay to give demos or volunteer at Salad Days!
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Emma Posey shaped a large, smiling head -
Emily Woo throws miniature vases -
Arista Wilson arranges their letter-pots into words -
Residents pose for a group photo -
Co-organizer Tom Doyle reads from the lists he transfers onto his work -
Tom Doyle and Arista Wilson chat while unloading a kiln -
Emily Woo lines up miniature vases fresh out of the kiln
Organized by: Tom Doyle & Jeremiah Ibarra, with participating artists Alex Ferrante, Kyla Culbertson, Kat West, Meg Howton, Emily Woo, Emma Posey, Jasmine Peck, Arista Wilson, Peter Barbor, Sam Block, Ingrid Yen, Hilary Kahrl, Emily Rensink, Teresa Cervantes, and Jesse Baggett.
Session IV: Beautiful Community, July 22-Aug 2
The Beautiful Community residency was made up of a diverse group of artists, many of whom had ties to community colleges. Residents explored ways of integrating community engagement in their creative work, while also considering how identity and culture can impact one’s art. This group was marked by their many discussions both inside and outside the studio, as well as their interaction with the local community around Watershed. Many artists ventured off campus to swim at beaches, dine at restaurants, and visit local art galleries.
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Summer staff joins the residents in trying a new firing technique -
Carolina Marin shaped a sculpture -
Mary Watson builds a vase -
Morel Doucet adds fine details into an aquatic piece -
Hayun Surl throwing in the Windgate Studio
Organized by: Trisha Kyner, with participating artists Morel Doucet, Mary Watson, Nadia Lezcano, Mario Mutis, Wesley Brown, Marina Kuchinski, Gena Mavuli, Chiedza Pasipanodya, Hayun Surl, Suhn Lee, Ari Zuaro, Devishi Seth, Carolina Marin, Andrea Garcia, Lupe Najar, and Jade Lynn-Lewis.
Session V: Cross Pollination, August 5-16
If we had to describe the penultimate residency of the summer in one word, it would be symbiosis. Inspired by the interconnectedness of botanical ecosystems, the residents of Cross Pollination focused on forming friendships in addition to pottery. Residents organized demos for each other and crafted several collaborative ceramic works. The group organized an outing to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, drawing inspiration from Maine’s beautifully diverse ecology. Rumor has it the residents are organizing a reunion trip to this year’s NCECA conference together!
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Beatriz Chachamovits learns a new technique from fellow resident Olivia Avery -
Artists gather around a fellow resident Sarah Pike giving a demo -
A resident captures a photo of the neighboring farm's sheep -
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Residents pose together outside the kiln pad -
Residents gather outside to get a first peek at their soda-fired work -
Jenn Cole paints on a bisqued teapot -
Beatriz Chachamovits and Indigo Cristol with the bowl they created together
Organized by: Audry Deal-McEver & Martha Grover, with participating artists Dawn Candy, Dawn Dishaw, Jenn Cole, Sarah Pike, Lindsay Rogers, Indigo Cristol, Beatriz Chachamovits, Jackie Matelski, Falon Mihalic, Molly Cantor, Olivia Avery, Shelby Reed, Jenny Nakao, Talia Silva, Devon Eckert, and Hannah Slagell.
Session VI: Queering Mud, August 19-30
Summer residencies wrapped up at Watershed with Queering Mud, a residency by and for artists who identified as queer and/or trans. Organized by Etty Anderson, this residency was meant to provide queer ceramic artists with a welcoming physical space to create together. Residents organized movie nights, square dancing lessons, and several trips to local swimming holes.
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Marie Foxall smooths a large sculpture outside Watershed's studio -
Session VI residents pose with their favorite pieces created during the residency -
Artist cuts clay at their work station -
Artists and staff get to know each other at the welcome dinner -
Bee Langholz works outside etching details -
Residents chat over dinner in the screened-in porch attached to the Commons
Organized by: Etty Anderson, with participating artists Marina Lespérance Lopez, Marie Foxall, Kasia Sosnowski, Mika Haykowsky, Koda Sokol, Bea Willemsen, Juno Viero, Molly Smith, Kelsey Waldron, Bridget Langholz, Knaide Rosenberg, Hannah Apuzzo, Julien Birch, Taylor Callaway, Leo Minsky, Bradley Powers, and Deanna Wong.
We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with every artist who helped shape the 2024 residency season. Plans for next year’s residencies are underway with more details coming this fall. Sign up for Watershed’s e-newsletter to receive the 2025 session announcement.