residency Testimonials
Erin | Resident painter | March 2023
This Spring, I had the great fortune of returning to the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts as a resident artist for the month of March having previously participated as a student in several different programs over the past eleven years. My decision to chase the opportunity was obvious because I had long-identified the school as a safe haven where my favorite versions of myself and my practice show up with great clarity. It’s with this foundation that I am profoundly moved but not surprised with the abundance found by myself and my two instantly-kindred residency mates. We were gifted with time; precious, studio-centric days, easily simplified by the off-season stillness of the island. We were tossed back into our own senses by the natural and cultural beauty of Paros spring, audible gasps pulled from our lungs whether our gaze was directed toward sky, sea, or bloom-covered earth. The studios were stunning, sacred feeling, buzzing into the night by the fuel of our creative camaraderie. I’m convinced that these Aegean Center ingredients are enough to free the woes of any creative soul, but more; what elevated the residency even further into territory that was truly extraordinary and entirely irreplicable by our own means was the residency oversight of Jane Morris Pack.
Landing in Jane’s influence years ago as a young painter feels so profoundly lucky and important that I honestly get uncomfortable guessing what kind of painter I might have attempted to be had I not. To be swept into her humble ideologies again as an adult carries with it a similar gravity. I found myself head-to-head with an exquisite overhaul with my relationship to painting, something I believe will make all the difference as I navigate my creative life through modern terrain. After years of solitary pursuits, it was a breath of fresh air to bounce ideas around in a safe and brilliant space, to feel challenged by outside forces, and shown such kindness through those vulnerable fits the work carries us through. My meetings with Jane meant generous access to feedback from a wealth of knowledge built on 40+ years of problem solving in my mediums of choice. It meant that I would become infected by her insatiable curiosity just like everyone else in her vicinity, inspiring our studios to feel more like laboratories or playgrounds. She met me exactly where I was and offered me the same very important invitation she did in my early 20’s, “Rebel from ideals that don’t serve you! Give your energy to ideas that are genuine to your life; no one else’s!”
I left Paros having fostered even deeper familial ties with the Aegean Center than before. I am a better painter and a better person for the ways I engaged myself in my work and for the priceless connections made. My projects have me totally fired up, the studio fresh and fertile. Where hesitation once festered in me, lives agency and sublime gratitude.
MEHERA | Resident painter | March 2023
Whether you are in a life transition, and want to pause to connect to your creative self, or want the privilege and joy of time and space, with a supportive, beautiful environment to create, this residency is for you. It was awesome!
Here’s what my day looked like: I would wake up and get breakfast, coffee then go to my studio with fellow artists, and we would paint. We would meet and discuss art and life, look at inspiring artists work, and have talks about creativity, our work, and the process. But mostly we would work. We would paint and draw then eat great food. We would walk in the hills covered with wild flowers on beautiful, bright days and every day run to watch the sunset.
It was a sacred pause, a rest, a return to the creative life force, and the joy of making art with fellow artists. All I can say is, if you can possibly do this, do it! You are worth it.
Teddy | Resident painter | March 2023
Returning to Paros after 20 years was a blessing, and returning as an adult offered unexpected lessons about myself, my spirit, and my journey as a painter. The island provides, the clear sea surrounds, the open skies shelter, the wildflowers and mountain herbs entice and inspire, and the mysterious energy of the place gives us the time and space in which to breathe, to think, to expand.
Jane’s enthusiasm and intellect provide the spark and her compassion and humor the nourishment for creative growth. My concepts of art-making and purpose were transformed in the four weeks of working with her and my two residency mates, expanding outward and tuning to the frequencies of nature while at the same time reconnecting with an inner and deep-seeded need to translate what I see into drawing. All this was accomplished because Jane gave me the permission to play - serious and focused play - that enabled some of the old hardened ideas about myself and how I work to crack open and for new shoots of possibility to sprout and reach for the warmth of the creative sun. Having her as the guiding presence made these explorations feel rooted, and her teaching and critique steered me towards ways of expression that I would not have been able to reach on my own.
I have been fortunate to make a living for the past ten years in creative spaces - illustration, design, scenic art - and yet my own expressive desire was stagnating. As I return to my life after the residency and this time with Jane, I have been rekindled. I’ve been given much to carry forward and am excited about the possibilities of what comes next.
Cassie | Resident painter | january 2023
My time on Paros wove together the land, the sea, the people, and the food with an extraordinary residency with Jane Pack at the Aegean Center. They are inseparable as each informed the other and contributed to the rich creative outpouring that Jane encouraged and supported in me during the month I was there. Each day was an exploration and deep dive into studying and working with traditional mediums while simultaneously fostering the discovery of my own artistic voice. Jane’s curiosity, incredible patience and willingness to teach me with such generosity was remarkable. Not only did I learn from her, I also learned with her. Watching Jane paint or solve a problem she encountered in her own work opened up my own curiosity and imagination, allowing surprise to be part of the creative process. Her breadth of knowledge both as an artist, a student of art and an educator enriched my understanding of art, of creative expression and myself beyond measure.
Sarah | 3 month Resident painter | february 2022
It's hard to over-estimate the impact that a three month residency at the Aegean Center had on me. First, the space – the studio in the Center is quiet, clean, and full of artistic aids (printing press, books, supplies, etc). Second, the place – because it’s an island, Paros is somewhat contained and separate from the rest of the world. This distance helped me focus on the task of learning and making. It's also beautiful, which is its own source of inspiration and peace. Third and (to me) most important, Jane. I tell my friends that Jane could help you with any creative project. She is focused, attentive, curious, playful and educated. If I ever had a question, she helped me answer it or find the path to continue asking that question. I grew as a person and an artist because of my time there. If you are looking to deepen your creative practice, improve your skills, and probably grow as a person, I can't recommend it enough.