Screen House Residency: Making the next move

If you've lived in Florida for very long, you've probably been to a Publix grocery store. They were originally based in Winter Haven, FL (which most of FL is, if you think about it), not far from where my parents live now. I think they are based in Lakeland now, not far from Winter Haven. Anyway, I grew up going to this grocery store. As far as I knew, this was the only grocery store in town. Everyone I knew from school had parents who shopped there. It would take forever for us to get out of the store because Mom or Dad had to catch up with somebody on the street we used to live on, or I was in Cub Scouts with, or my brother was on the soccer team with...

Anyway, our store used to have a mosaic tile mural like this one does. On a recent trip to West Palm Beach, FL, I was shocked to see this old mural, just like the one I saw every week as a kid. It was kind of a little sentimental moment for me. See, the store in my old neighborhood remodeled years ago, so I guess I had grown used to not seeing it for a really long time. Seeing this old school mosaic brought back plenty of memories. Like when I would ride along with the neighbor's kids and we would take glass Coke bottles back for the money and then buy candy with the new stash of cash. Or when my friends and I would hang out there on our bikes because there was nothing else to do in suburban Tampa in the hot summers.

I think one of the most indelible m

emories was when my Mom needed something from the store. I remember she gave me a list of stuff she needed and a little cash. I took off on my bike, backpack in tow. I remember that beyond the silly list of things I had to get, I was entrusted to take off on my own and get that mission done without anyone holding my hand. It was kind of a big deal.

The Screen House Residency is coming to an end. Everything is packed up. I've cleaned out the screen house and said goodbye to all my lizard collaborators. Soon it will be moving into a trailer hitched to the back of my truck. It's time for a new chapter. I've recently accepted an offer to be the new Studio Manager at the Red Star Studios in Kansas City, MO. Somehow, I feel like I'm on that bike again. I feel like I've been given a great task, people are counting on me, and I'm ready to succeed. And just like before, it's kind of a big deal.

Screen House Residency: Libby Carnahan Fellowship at the St Petersburg Clay Co.

The SHR phased into a new opportunity. I was asked by my friend Libby to housesit while she was away in China visiting some friends. So for two weeks I took care of her pets and got a nice work space at the St Petersburg Clay Company, where I had my first artist residency after college. What a wonderful homecoming! I was able to see old friends and reconnect with a few people I hadn't seen in a while. And during the two weeks I cranked out another kiln load of piggy banks. It was nice to spend a little time getting input from the AIRs (Artists in Residence) and talking with the owners, Adam Yungbluth and Matt Schiemann. SPCC has gone through a lot of changes since I was an AIR and it's really cool to see that they have continued to offer residents a solid experience when it comes to post-graduation reality checks. Residents experience a diversified climate: working with non-academic membership, outsider artists from the community, students from St Pete College, Eckard College, and U of South Florida. They also come in contact with pros who have been making pots and sculpture for years. It's a great community and St Pete's art scene has been rated tops among cities its size. Makes a Bay area native proud!

As if making work at a great place with great people wasn't enough, I also set up a solo exhibition in the store front of Highwater Clays of Florida. It's also located in the train station where SPCC is located. I got all kinds of fun reviews and comments of the work that is displayed there. Barbara Ott is the store manager and did an awesome job of making me feel welcome and helping to make the best display possible. If you're in the area, please stop by and check it out. The Train Station is located at 420 22nd St South in St Petersburg.

With the LC Fellowship closed, I returned to the Screen House and got things closed spruced up for a sale at my folks house. They were having a slew of friends from around the lake out to celebrate Memorial Day that weekend. This included a live bluegrass ensemble: a collection of friends who live around town and play at a variety of venues. I think my biggest honor of the evening was having the fiddle player, "Sticky Steve," purchase a few pieces from me that he was going to use as an award from a fishing competition that takes place later in the summer. I'm famous!