Artists-In-Residence Program
For over 30 years Arrowmont has welcomed Artists-in-Residence (AIRs) to campus for an 11-month, self-directed residency. This unique program provides 5 early-career artists the time, space and support needed to create new work, while actively participating in our robust community of artists, students and staff.
Resident experiences are tailored to the individual’s goals and desired outcomes, with guaranteed exposure and professional development opportunities including – 3 gallery exhibitions, open-studio talks and demonstration, instruction experience through our ArtReach program, and funded networking resources.
We interviewed one of our current AIRs, Sam Lee Christian, to learn more about them and what their experience has been like since starting their residency here at Arrowmont. Continue reading below about Sam Lee Christian!
Q&A
Tell us a little bit more about yourself! Your life/work prior to arriving at Arrowmont and any interesting facts we should know about you!
Well, I’m the oldest of four from Richmond VA. I’ve became a quilter in honor of my Grandmother, Loretta, who taught me and was a beautiful artist herself. I grew up in Theatre and music, though so this is a completely different life than I thought I would lead! I play multiple instruments (Cello, harp. Learning Banjo and harmonica) and count myself as a dabbler that’ll try anything twice.
What drew you to the Artists-in-Residence Program at Arrowmont?
I came to Arrowmont because I was feeling stuck. I love and cherish my hometown but it’s easy to get comfortable and forget to grow. I spent a lot of time teaching folx and letting education be my main practice but I knew I was missing something. At the very least, I’d need to go learn more things to teach them.
What is something that you have learned about yourself during your residency here (so far)?
Arrowmont has been like a fact-finding mission to learn as much as I can and then share it with folx that might not get the chance to spend a year in a craft school. In that learning, though, I started to learn a lot about myself. I have started to delve deeper into the history of my practice. How the history of craft is celebrated and overlooked. What it means to be making the things I’m making right now in the middle of Tennessee. I knew I was resilient. However, I tended to forget how much that resilience needed to show up in my work. I think my work has the tendency to be timid because I’m afraid to make something too loud or too specific. I have learned to embrace and imbue the work with all myself. To make this work a full extension of me. And hopefully, through this full embrace of my work as myself, I encourage other folx to do the same.
Tell us a bit about your work process and how it has changed since you have been at Arrowmont.
I can say that I’ve been letting myself play a lot more! Making three-dimensional works and soft sculpture has been a fun frontier for me. I dabbled in turning my Dream Quilts into Three-dimensional vessels before but this residency has really opened my eyes to the possibilities.
Can you share any specifics about your work for the closing AIR exhibition in May? Everyone loves a teaser!
All I’ll say is that this show will be a blend of the past, the present and the future!
What has been the most valuable thing you’ve learned in your residency (so far)?
I’ve definitely learned to lean. This residency taught me a lot about being strong but letting folx help you. I know we all talk about needing other people but this year has been a lesson in love and leaning on folx when you need to.
As an Arrowmont Artist-In-Residence, you have the opportunity to participate in our youth outreach program, ArtReach, as an instructor. How did your work as an artist influence the workshop you taught? Did you learn anything from the kids who participated?
Teaching workshops is one of my favorite things to do so I was so excited to be in the classroom with young folx teaching them a process that some of them had never seen before! I also got to teach a process that doesn’t show up in my work as often, linocut printing! I always learn a lot from how young folx approach things they don’t know. There’s a really cool “stumble through” attitude that that was evident all through the workshops!
What advice would you give to a future Artist-in-Residence?
To know yourself and what you want. To be ready for all of you and what you want to change. To drink water and eat vegetables and leave that strip food alone. To lean. To ask for the support you need. To fall in love with the process and guard it.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you, the residency or Arrowmont? We’re all ears!
That the work I’m doing comes from communities and people long before me. That my work exists for the South and with the South. That Art is political and born of resistance and I don’t shy away from it.
2026-2027 Applications are currently closed.
Questions about the program? Contact Kelly Hider at [email protected]
