Artist in Residence Program
The Appalachian Center for Craft's Artist in Residence Program (AIR) allows emerging professional artists to work in its immersive studio environment. The AIR program is a one-year appointment, renewable for up to an additional year. Each studio (clay, fibers, glass, metals, wood, and exhibitions) has an Artist in Residence with a BFA, MFA or professional equivalent. AIRs are integral to the educational programs of the Craft Center, providing additional artistic perspectives, expertise and experiences to our students.
Current Residents
CLAY ›
Andrew Foster
andrewfoster@tntech.edu
Andrew Foster is a ceramic artist hailing from Rochester, New York. He has studied
ceramics at Houghton College, as well as at the School for American Craft at the Rochester
Institute of Technology. His functional pottery honors the state’s centuries-old legacy
of stoneware production, while seeking to reinvigorate and advance the tradition.
He writes “By aligning my personal experience and narrative with the making, I imagine,
through objects, a world where these traditions had continued”.
Andy’s experiences include being an artist in residence at the Flower City Arts Center,
where he was also a teaching artist and helped found their high school residency program.
In 2025 he was named one of Ceramics Monthly’s emerging artists. He regularly participates
in national and international exhibitions, including the Juried National show at the
Red Lodge Clay Center where he won the Jurors Prize.
FIBERS ›
Jesse Satterfield
jsatterfield@tntech.edu
Jesse Satterfield was raised in a tourist trap on the Jersey Shore and spent his adolescence working as a boardwalk carnival barker— handing out fuzzy, stuffed prizes to sunburnt New Yorkers with bad attitudes. He suffered for several years as a fine art framer, production seamster, upholsterer, and workroom manager in the commercial interior design industry before returning to Fine Art and Academia. He holds an MFA in Textiles from Kent State University, as well as an MA in Critical Studies and BFA in Fibers from the Maryland Institute College of Art. His works will be on view at the Zimmerli Museum of Art at Rutgers University from September 2026 - February 2027 as part of the inaugural New Jersey Annual Exhibition.
Jesse Satterfield examines queer identity and experience through weaving, sewing, and dye-painted tapestries. His work meditates on gay loneliness in the age of digital dating apps, transforming sourced imagery, such as the sunrise and sunset photos used as profile placeholders, into vibrant, abstracted textiles. By amplifying color and altering composition, these "queered" objects create otherworldly spaces shimmering with quiet longing and bold visibility.
GLASS ›
Ike Synnestvedt
isynnestvedt@tntech.edu
METALS ›
WOOD ›
Talia Drury
tdrury@tntech.edu
Talia Drury grew up in the Midwest and received her Bachelor's in Industrial Design from Iowa State University and completed her MFA in Furniture Design from The School of American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology. She has finished residencies at RIT in the Furniture Design Studio from 2024-2025 and at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts from 2025-2026. She has focused her interests in art and mark-making on her childhood memories outside and her continuing curiosity about what exists in nature as she wanders different wooded paths. Talia currently resides in Cookeville, Tennessee, where she continues to make work inspired by seeds and other small objects she finds on her walks, while serving as the wood resident at Appalachian Center for Craft in 2026-2027 and an adjunct professor at Tennessee Tech.
EXHIBITIONS ›
Grace Netanya
gnetanya@tntech.edu
Applying to Become an Artist in Residence
The Center for Craft employs a competitive application process to fill these positions. Open positions are typically posted in February and are posted to the Tennessee Tech University jobs page as they become available. Applications can only be accepted through the Tennessee Tech jobs web page. Please refer here for the latest open positions. For more information, please email craftcenter@tntech.edu, call 931-372-3051, or request to be added to our email newsletter list, so that we can send you our latest monthly news.
- Artist in Residence Functions
TERM OF THE RESIDENCY: One year appointment, with option to renew for one more year at the discretion of ACC faculty.
QUALIFICATIONS: An MFA degree from an accredited institution is usually preferred, but BFA degree holders and those with equivalent experience may apply.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Oversight of and general maintenance of studio supplies and equipment. The resident will work 15 hours per week. Tasks include managing studio needs, ordering materials, and ensuring smooth operation of programs. Specifics of managing the studio will be discussed with the artist in residence in advance of agreeing to a contract.
INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT: Occasional teaching opportunities may be available during faculty absence, if the candidate possesses an MFA degree. Resident may have the opportunity to teach workshops and academic classes, but this is not guaranteed and varies by studio concentration. The resident must produce a significant body of studio work while showing a high level of technical expertise and aesthetic merit. In consultation with the department head, expectations of the AIR’s studio work will be reviewed after arrival.
COMPENSATION: 15 hours per week. $6,000 annual stipend. One year appointment. Single occupancy bedroom with private bath (no partners/spouses allowed to live in housing, cooking and lounge facilities are shared with other residents), individual studio space, and 24 hour studio access are provided. A small stipend annually is provided. Also, opportunities for additional employment through workshop and outreach programs may be available. Benefits include the accumulation of annual and sick leave on a prorated basis equal to the percentage of employment, and thirteen (13) pro-rated University holidays. Other benefits include pro-rated retirement, optional 401k, and educational benefits.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE: All applicants must apply online here and are required to electronically upload a resume and provide contact information for three references. Official transcripts required upon hire. Tennessee Tech University is an AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex, disability, age (40 and over), status as a protected veteran, genetic information or any other category protected by federal or state law. Inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies should be directed to hr@tntech.edu.