We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect summer staff than the lovely people who joined us for the 2024 season. For five months, they cooked, cleaned, crafted, organized, and so much more to make the residency experience seamless for all who visited our campus. We sat down with each of them to learn more about their background, favorite summer memories, and future plans.
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Summer staff, from left to right: Emmett Jorgensen, Josephine Diehl, Olivia Propeck, Melissa Lindner, Shannon Renner, and Chris "Mitch" Mitchell -
Shannon Renner and Mitch Mitchell relax after a successful Salad Days -
Summer staff and year-round staff celebrate the summer with a boat tour in Boothbay
Olivia Propeck, Housing Coordinator
A recent ceramics grad from the Maine College of Art & Design, Olivia has been immersed in ceramics for years. She cites photography and pottery classes in high school as the starting point for her love of the arts. Their current ceramic work explores sexuality and domesticity through sapphic motifs like violets, carabiners, and oat milk. Olivia’s painstakingly detailed designs have landed them commissions from local Maine businesses like Soleil and Bard Coffee.
Olivia spent the summer at Watershed as the self-proclaimed “Cabin Captain.” In addition to being the residency liason’s right-hand man, they spent hours making sure residents’ stays were clean and comfortable.
Being freshly out of the academic setting, Olivia says that Watershed was the perfect place to heal from creative burnout. They loved meeting and collaborating with the dozens of artists who visited Watershed, learning new processes and perspectives to incorporate into their own work. Olivia’s favorite memories were made while stargazing and sharing meals on the back deck of the Commons.
Olivia has an exciting year of clay opportunities lined up now that her time at Watershed has come to a close. They’ll travel to L.a. Studio, Red Lodge Clay Center, and Running With Scissors Studios over the coming months for residencies. You can follow along with their creative pursuits on their Instagram.
Chris “Mitch” Mitchell, Studio Assistant
Mitch grew up in South Portland, Maine before pursuing a BFA in studio arts from Keene State College and a post baccalaureate degree from Hartford University. In addition to holding various studio tech positions, he worked as welder and mold-maker up and down the East Coast before moving back to his home state for a summer position at Watershed. His ceramic work is a unique amalgamation of found and 3D-printed objects that he collages together to create an abstract landscape of a sculpture.
As the studio assistant, Mitch spent the summer keeping Watershed’s facilities in good shape. His boundless energy and technical know-how kept the equipment in the Windgate Studio in pristine condition.
Mitch loved spending the summer connecting with ceramicists from all over the world. He particularly enjoyed the Digital Clay residency, swapping digital fabrication tips with the residents. He says he took pride in being a part of improving Watershed’s beautiful studio space.
Mitch is now working at Harvard Ceramics in a work exchange position. He plans to continue his ceramic endeavors through pursuing grad school in the coming years. You can keep up with Mitch on his Instagram.
Emmett Jorgensen, Assistant Cook
Like Olivia, Emmett graduated from the Maine College of Art & Design this past spring with a BFA in ceramics. His work was recently featured in Taking Shape, an exhibition in Watershed’s Barkan Gallery. Emmett’s clay creations are characterized by their saturated colors and alternative methods of building. He explores themes of queer identity and coming-of-age in his work.
Emmett’s summer was spent in the kitchen, helping head cook Melissa make hundreds of meals for residents and campus visitors. He loved the slow, peaceful ambience on campus, as well as access to the studio without the stress of external, academic pressures. He’s proud to leave Watershed as reigning checkers champion of the summer staff.
You can follow along with Emmett on his Instagram.
Melissa Lindner, Head Cook
Currently based in New Orleans, Melissa has worked in kitchens for the past eight years before making her way to Watershed for the summer. Her past cooking positions have often focused on food and mental health. She says the kitchen is her main creative outlet, a passion sweetened by getting to nourish others.
Aside from cooking, Melissa loved pouring creative energy into learning ceramics this summer. The medium was new to her and filled her free time, along with yoga, paddle boarding, and plenty of walks with her black lab, Ruth. Melissa loved experiencing Maine’s seasons with her wonderful coworkers.
Melissa’s next plans include developing a website to engage others in her love of food and mental health advocacy. Until then, you can reach her (and ask for recipes from the summer) on her Instagram.
Josephine Diehl, Residency Liaison
Josephine says clay has been “the most constant thing in [her] life.” After graduating with a degree in advertising during the height of the pandemic, she found herself drawn to clay communities across the world. Josephine solo traveled to Asia, Africa, and South and Central America, finding a love for arts administration during her time as a studio tech at the Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center.
As the residency liaison, Josephine’s days were filled with making sure every part of our residents’ stays was seamless, from arrival to departure. She also organized the incredibly successful reverse raffle for Salad Days.
Josephine’s favorite moments of the summer were spent with her fellow summer staff, who she proudly calls “jewels of humans.” She relished in the laughter, creativity, and community that every new residency session brought to Watershed. Outside of work, you could find Josephine practicing yoga on the patio every morning and experimenting with terra sigillata in the studio. Her ceramic work was heavily influenced by Maine’s botanicals, and she spent the summer capturing nature in clay.
Josephine’s next adventure will take her back to Asia to continue pursuing her passion in arts administration and ceramics. You can follow along with her journey on her Instagram.
Shannon Renner, Dining Coordinator
Before making their way to Maine, Shannon spent years developing their ceramics practice. Based in Cincinnati, she also has years of experience with styling and creative directing editorial shoots for TITLE, a fashion magazine. Her creative work––which ranges from painting to photography to ceramics––often centers around femininity and religious motifs. They love to disrupt gender roles through art.
While at Watershed, Shannon was responsible for keeping the new Commons building in tip-top condition for residents. Rumor has it the Session III residents dubbed her the “Squeaky Clean Dish Queen.”
Shannon spent the summer refining her wheel throwing and making clay jewelry. They loved immersing themself in the natural wonders around Watershed, spending the summer swimming, star gazing, and sketching in the woods. Their favorite dining coordinator duty was gathering fresh flowers each week to display in the Commons.
Shannon’s next big plans include a residency at Fish Factory in Iceland. Keep up with their creative pursuits on their Instagram.