Chasing The Residency Circuit | Tyler Quintin | Episode 843

Tyler Quintin | Episode 843

Tyler Quintin is a Korean American ceramic sculptor and vessel maker using clay to explore themes centered around identity. Tyler is currently wrapping up his residency at the Morean Center for Clay and will be beginning his next residency at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in June. 2022.

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Why does a residency matter?

I think residencies are incredible important because for one, it gives you opportunity to move away, get out of your home town and go experience a place that is completely different from what you are used to, and meet a whole bunch of new people. I especially like residencies or at least the residency experiences that I’ve had there being multiple artists in residence because getting to work close quarters with different artists is so informative and inspiring. It’s very important for artists to get to know and work with other artists.

What’s a benefit that really stands out for you in this particular residency?

My first instinct…I’m a workaholic so okay there’s still things outside of my own focus. For example one of the biggest draws is that they have a kiln pad that has all sorts of atmospheric kilns, an anagama, a soda kiln, a wood soda, gas kilns, things like that. And some of the residents that I am here with are super into atmosphere and I think you can tell from a lot of the work that I make that I am very into control and atmosphere there’s things you can kinda control but also there’s a lot that’s left up to what happens happens. And these last few months especially I’ve been able to participate and try things and just kind of be around that whole culture.

How has your residency helped you develop your business acumen?

I feel like residency like for the time that I was coming in was giving me more opportunity to be exposed to a new community as well as networking opportunities with visiting artists and at NCECA and things like that. And I think that working on my own and at a home studio for awhile was the thing that more pushed the business side in a sense because working from home everything was kind of on me, I was my own everything. I had to make sure I was on top of making work, I had to, and I do still, document all of the work and get it online. I made an Etsy account, I had to learn how to find juried show opportunities, and other residency opportunities, so I feel like my personal experience, being on my own kind of forced me to be a better business man. I think residency kind of gives me some leeway to not have to be so business minded.

Do you feel like you are building relationships that are going to be life long and not only that but also a deep well to draw from?

Definitely with the people that I work with closely here at Morean so Kodi Thompson who is the head of the residency program, my cohort of residents, and then the Morean has over 50 studio members that rent space and are working here and like everyone in this building I feel like I’ve cultivated some really close relationships with and I definitely know some people are going to be life long friends for sure.

How many residencies do you plan on doing?

Well I don’t that it is a specific number. I am twenty-eight and I am going to give myself a good chunk of my thirties to go to different residencies and participate in programs because there is a lot that I get out of it like working in these different organizations and getting ideas of what works and what doesn’t work, what kind of things are really helpful for artists to have access to and all of this has really informed my business plan for my future studio.