Mighty Mud’s 2024/2025 Artist in Residence
Deadline May 31, 2024
Mighty Mud is an active, urban ceramic-centric studio comprised of two buildings (16,000 square feet combined) and a large clay shed, stocked with 30+ varieties of clay. We have 42 artist studios, with over 100 local artists renting space in those studios, and an average of 1000 students per year. Mighty Mud hosts a gallery, an exhibition space, class space, and extensive glaze and clay retail. We have 15 electric wheels, a glaze lab, 5+ indoor electric kilns, a wood fired kiln, two slab rollers, an extruder, a documentation (photo booth) area, a spray booth, and a large outdoor area for projects. Mighty Mud’s artist-in-residence program provides a unique opportunity for artists to work in a collaborative community. Artists-in-Residence are encouraged to develop their existing bodies of work and explore new processes and concepts as well as take part in studio events. The residency allows artists to shape and structure their time to fit their own goals and contribute to the studio. Residents are expected to spend 10 hours per week in various roles: as a studio technician, at the retail counter, during open studio hours helping members and students, and with studio wash downs. Extra income can be earned through teaching workshop(s).
Jill Campbell
Jill Campbell is a ceramic artist who chose to move to Knoxville specifically to be our new Artist in Residence. She graduated from the University of Florida with a B.A. in Visual Arts Studies in 2001, but then took a hard left, moved to Breckenridge, CO on a whim, and was away from the art world for 20 years.
She found her way back to clay via the Art Students League of Denver in the Fall of 2021, and immediately felt reconnected. Alongside the studio’s manager, John R. Hamilton III, Jill was the recipient of a national grant for apprenticeship, through Studio Potter. The year long apprenticeship served as a “boot camp” to get her back on track to a career in the arts, and clay specifically. The end of the apprenticeship coincided with the beginning of the residency here, so her move to Knoxville has been a bit of a whirlwind, and she’s just beginning to find her footing.
Six years sober and in a period of reinvention, she is embracing this extremely privileged time of her life and is excited to discover all that Knoxville has to offer. She loves the fact that there are so many opportunities to feel immersed in nature within a short radius of the city, as the textures, colors, patterns, and lines of trees, plants, and flowers highly inspire her work.
Jill hopes to use this year to continue experimenting, learning, progressing, evolving, and growing as a human and as an artist. Her sobriety has played a large role in her return to herself and to clay, and she’s excited to see how her work and life will further develop throughout the residency.
About the AIR Program.
Air’s are expected to be at Mud for 15-20 hours a week, which includes 7 hours per week of specific work for the studio. The 1st three months of residency will be considered a trial period, at any time during the trial 90 days the resident or Mighty Mud can terminate the arrangement. Some everyday responsibilities include: maintaining equipment and space, promoting classes, regular posting on social media, loading and unloading kilns, mixing glazes, studio wash downs, presenting workshops, art slide talks and organizing exhibitions. Please submit the following information to our on-line application no later than May 31, 2024 (no emailed or mailed submissions will be accepted after that.)
Apply to the Artist-in-Residence Program
Do you have what it takes? Fill out the form below!
Requirements:
- 10-15 images of work completed in the last 2 years. A minimum of 5 individual pieces of artwork are required.
- Resume/CV
- Brief artist statement (one page maximum)
- Personal statement (one page maximum) explaining what you hope to accomplish personally and what you hope to bring to Mighty Mud studio during your residency. Additionally address what specific skills and qualities make you a good fit for the Mighty Mud Residency Program.
- Names and contact info of 1-3 references
Residency includes:
- Studio/work space in our classroom or artist group studios
- Monthly stipend – $200
- Clay and Glazes or glaze materials within reason
- Ability to join any classes we offer free of charge
- Teaching/assisting opportunities for extra pay
- Solo show at the end of the residency in house or at another local gallery
Residency DOES NOT include:
- Housing or food
- Travel costs