a residency is defined and implemented in a variety of ways depending upon the situation and location. i do not have a 'full time' resident, but there are some other options at my studio. first i will describe the assistant option at my studio and at the bottom of the page there is information (and a link) to a local studio (natchez clay) that has a residency.



assistants:
at times i select an assistant for a short term project. this person would be someone that i trust, has a basic knowledge of clay and is willing to work hard and to learn. the details vary but the project would most often be one in which the major portion of the project could be completed in a week. the assistant would spend the week performing tasks consistent with that project. skills necessary usually include some basic clay skills in addition to the willingness to work.


assistant benefits:

1 - participation in a project - usually large scale project designed to be completed in a week

2 - learn the skill used in specified project

3 - additional time during the project to discuss other topics related to the field of clay


assistant responsibilities:

1 - commitment to the week selected

2 - participation in the entire project

3 - timeliness, trust, willingness to work hard and a desire to learn

all assistantships are different and depend upon the project. most assistantships do not have a salary associated with them. although the assistant would not gain directly in a monetary manner, the assistant will gain the knowledge necessary to complete the project and all the associated mechanisms. room and board is most often provided during these projects. this information is vague, because the specific project dictates much of the content. if you are interested in being an assistant, please follow the directions below:


assistant application procedure:

application deadline - the application process is ongoing - there is not always a project in process

apply by sending the following information to conner burns:

1 - resume.

2 - references - send three references, two should have direct knowledge about your clay background and experience.

3 - a letter describing why you would like to serve as an assistant of conner burns and a brief description of your long term direction.

4 - a list of your strengths and why you think you would be a good fit as an assistant.

5 - images of your work.

6 - any additional information that could be beneficial in this process.



send information to:

studioburns@aol.com

or

conner burns
209 franklin street
natchez, ms 39120


what comes next? once the information is received, conner will review the information and contact you to discuss the details of next steps.

can this be school associated? conner is open to working with academic institutions but it is not required. projects are often scheduled to fit with the assistants calendar - meaning that spring break, summer break etc are all times when a project could be scheduled.




residency:
natchez clay has an artist-in-residence position in natchez, mississippi. if that resident is interested in working with conner, conner will work out a process to ensure that is possible. details about the working relationship vary with the individual resident and the needs of the studio operations. in general, the resident at natchez clay will assist conner in some manner at his studio and in exchange, conner will spend some time with that individual in a learning process. that process is based upon the needs of the resident. it might be on technical, aesthetic or business topics. additional information about the natchez clay artist-in-residence position is available at www.natchezclay.com

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