Appalachian Center for Craft
Artist in Residence Program
The Appalachian Center for Craft's Artist in Residence Program (AIR) allows emerging professional artists to live and 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.
See Current Artists in Residence »
Applying for Artist in Residence
The Center for Craft employs a competitive application process to fill these positions. Positions open up at different times throughout the year 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 to jobs@tntech.edu 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 20 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 possess 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: 20 hours per week. One year appointment. Residence in Craft Center housing is a required condition of studio residencies. Single occupancy bedroom with private bath (whether married or single, 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 at Jobs@Tntech.edu 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 equity@tntech.edu.
Current Residents
CLAY ›
Sarah Davey
sdavey@tntech.edu
Sarah Davey is a contemporary ceramic figure sculptor from Lancaster, PA. She earned her BFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2005 and her MFA, in Ceramics from the School of Art and Art History at the University of Florida in 2019. Sarah’s work explores personal mythology within her ceramic figures to discuss our connection to the environment and physical manifestations of chaotic, internalized spaces. Black and white surfaces layered with acrid greens create a dark and surreal, moody current that runs through her narrative work. Sarah has presented her work in group and solo shows nationally and internationally, NCECA, art fairs, Urban Nation Contemporary Museum and Paradigm Gallery + Studio in Philadelphia. Sarah is presently the exhibition’s artist in residence at the Appalachian Center for Craft in Smithville, Tennessee.
FIBERS ›
Gabrielle McHugh
gmchugh@tntech.edu
Gabrielle McHugh is an artist, textile designer, and educator from the South Shore of Massachusetts. She received her BFA in Textile Design/Fiber Arts from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2014 and her MFA in Craft/Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2022. For the past several years she has worked in the textile industry as a surface, technical jacquard, and rug designer in various US mills. Gabrielle uses textile language and soft sculpture components to create immersive installations. Her work is driven by questions of how we move through, interact within, and activate space. Elements of paper, cotton, nets, salt, stone, water, breath, space, light, weight, sound, and silence, provide a material palette for her work. Drawing on this palette she creates spaces of sanctuary, her work supports her, it provides sensory stimulation, it soothes. Gabrielle is currently the Artist-in-Residence in fibers at the Appalachian Center for Craft.
GLASS ›
Tabitha Thierjung
tathierjung@tntech.edu
Tabitha Thierjung uses nature, witchcraft, and spirituality as inspiration for her glass sculptures to create a fun, informative way to show others the magic in the mundane. She was first introduced to glass by her mother at thirteen and followed suit in 2013, taking her first glass blowing class at Tidewater Community College. After obtaining her associates, she moved to Tennessee to achieve her BFA at the Appalachian Center for Craft. Tabitha has had her work featured across the country as well as in the Chrysler Museum of Art. After doing internships at STARworks and the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio, she has returned to the Appalachian Center for Craft as the Artist-in-Residence in glass.
METALS ›
Eleanor Rose
emeineke@tntech.edu
Eleanor Ingrid Rose is a craft based sculpture artist, metalsmith, and toolmaker. She has a BFA from Pratt Institute and an MFA from UW-Madison. She frequently works alongside Stacy Motte in their collaborative project Ladies Who... Eleanor has been making tools, to make tools, to make art for over a decade which has led her to specialize in casting, machining, and a chaotic variety of skills within other craft media.
WOOD ›
Stacy Motte
smotte@tntech.edu
Stacy Motte is a sculptor who uses traditional craft techniques to make furniture and jewelry that behave in unexpected ways. She received a dual BFA from California College of the Arts in Furniture Design and Photography and an MFA from University of Wisconsin, Madison with a focus in Wood. She spent the last two years as a resident artist at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she worked with Eleanor Ingrid Rose on their ongoing collaborative project, Ladies Who Wood. Stacy is currently the Wood Resident at the Appalachian Center for Craft.
EXHIBITIONS ›
Brad Silk
bsilk@tntech.edu
Brad Silk has a BFA from Montserrat College of Art, where they helped start the school's first student-run gallery, Bear Gallery. On graduation, they moved to New York City to run a 6 Month pop-up, TemporaryGallery, in the Lower East Side. During their twelve years in the city, Silk curated nineteen exhibitions across galleries like Cindy Rucker Gallery, PS122 Gallery, Projekt722, and Porter Mill Studios as well as the permanent collection of Queens Community House in collaboration with ArtConnects NY. Silk is also an artist; their figure work has been exhibited with galleries and museums such as Alexandria Museum of Art, Attleboro Museum of Art, and Chico Art Center. Through portrait painting, curation, and community organizing, Silk advocates for the growth and fostering of their Queer community.
