Explore. Create. Connect.
What is an Artist Residency?
An artist residency is a program that provides artists with the time, space, and resources to develop their work. These residencies offer a unique environment that fosters creativity and experimentation, allowing artists to focus on their projects, engage with new communities, and gain fresh inspiration.
Arts Tasmania Education Residency
The Arts Tasmania Education Residency program, offered in partnership with the Tasmanian Government’s Department for Education, Children and Young People, provides a unique platform for Tasmanian artists to immerse themselves in their craft within an educational setting. It also fosters engagement with the arts among young people and their families, and introduces teachers to innovative ideas and approaches.
My Experience with the Arts Tasmania Education Residency
My experience with the Arts Tasmania Education Residency 2023 has been a transformative journey, encompassing site visits, facilitating projects, and numerous rewarding outcomes that have enriched my artistic practice.
Site Visits
Through the Arts Tasmania Education Residency, I embarked on several research site visits to rainforests and plantation areas in Northeast Tasmania. These visits were instrumental in inspiring a series of 11 porcelain sculptures and initiating material investigations into a new concept within my artistic practice. The images and experiences gathered from these site visits allowed me to explore ideas about biological soil crusts, leading to the development of a new body of work that continues to evolve.
Facilitating Projects
Within the school environment, I collaborated with the Art Teacher to facilitate a whole-school sculptural project. All students and teachers participated in sculpting mushrooms from clay, based on the Tasmanian fungi field guide. These clay mushrooms were later attached to a clay base that I created for the project. I also conducted an afterschool sculpting workshop for teachers, where we discussed ceramics and sculpture while creating fungi pieces to contribute to the school project.
In addition, I worked with the sewing class, facilitating sessions where students learned how to hand sew and embroider contemporary abstract fabric mosses and fungal-inspired embellishments. These pieces were then attached to the fungi sculpture, integrating multiple artistic techniques and bringing the project to life.
Outcomes and Reflections
The residency experience has been immensely rewarding. It has significantly bolstered my development as an artist, leading to 12 new works within the residency and multiple artworks post-residency,, art sales from my Studio Gallery in Binalong Bay and through Jane Seychell Gallery in St Helens, participation in the 2024 Launceston Church Grammar School’s Summer Salon at Poimena Gallery resulting in the sale of Resilient Earth #6, as well as entries in art prizes, including becoming a finalist in the Bay of Fires Art Prize 2024. Additionally, I received an offer for an exhibition at the Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery in November 2024. The opportunity to engage deeply with both the natural environment and the school community has opened new avenues for my artistic practice, making this residency a pivotal moment in my career.
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![Black and pink porcelain sculpture]()
Resilient Earth #1
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Resilient Earth #2
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Resilient Earth #3
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Resilient Earth #4
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Resilient Earth #5
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Resilient Earth #6
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Resilient Earth #7
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Resilient Earth #8
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Resilient Earth #9
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Resilient Earth #10
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Pretty in Pink Wall Flower
2013 Poatina Arts Residency
Poatina Arts presents an Artist in Residence program welcoming artists of all genres to reside in Poatina village for short, medium, or long-term stays. Hosting a diverse range of artists for over 15 years, from distant places like Greece and Sweden to across Australia, the village fosters a rich creative environment. Artists engage in various disciplines such as glass blowing, music composition, sculpture, painting, ceramics, and more during their stay. They are encouraged to participate in village life through regular gatherings, community dinners, working bees, and artist meetups.
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Shalom, 2013
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Glistening Hope, 2014
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Turning Points, 2013
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Voice, 2014
Poatina Arts Residency
My Poatina Arts Residency was a pivotal moment in my life. It marked my first foray into the world of arts residencies, a decision born from a deep need for change after a period of grave illness. I felt the urge for a "tree change," a shift towards a life that nurtured my creative spirit, something I had neglected for too long. Despite not identifying as an artist initially, I knew there was a calling within me to create—to paint, to collage, to express myself through art.
Having dedicated two decades to serving others in disability and youth work, I realized the need for a new chapter, one that would empower me and breathe new life into my being. Poatina Arts Residency became the catalyst for this transformation. Over three weeks, immersed in a supportive and inspiring environment, I rediscovered my artist self. I created works that not only spoke to me but also resonated with others.
At the end of my residency, I proudly embraced the title of artist—a testament to the profound impact Poatina Arts had on my journey of self-discovery and renewal.
During my residency I made the artwork pictured below, Shalom, 2013. The Hebrew word, ‘Shalom’ means completeness, wholeness, peace, everything as it should be. Many of us struggle in and with life, we are often existing in the outer spaces of life. In the requirements or expectations, denying our true selves and desires that would make us truly ourselves, truly ‘alive’! This work spoke to the journey we travel into wholeness and being the best version of ourselves.
(Shalom, 2013 has been acquired to a private collection)
Artist Residencies
Arts Tasmania - Education Residency
2023
Poatina Arts - Self-funded Residency
2013
