It was a joy to come back to Meredith’s Art Department as an Artist-in-Residence and once again be a part of such a supportive community. In addition to receiving聽critical feedback on my work post-graduation, I really enjoyed getting to work with the students and learn from them! This residency gave me the time and space I needed after graduating to redefine and redirect, while finding inspiration and support to keep pursuing my art.聽
Since graduating, I鈥檝e worked as a teacher, an arts administrator, and most recently as a small business owner! I have owned a pop up market business, Curated Craft Market, since 2021 that focuses on supporting local artists and makers. The market grew into a brick and mortar shop in 2022 that my husband and I ran for the past two and half years. While we had to make the decision to close the shop, it has given me more time to reconnect with my own art practice – something that has been on the back burner since starting the business and having two babies over the last few years. While I鈥檝e continued to have art and creativity be a part of my life and work, I鈥檓 excited for the opportunity to make new work that reflects who I am as an artist today. I鈥檓 currently exploring all kinds of mediums from painting and Procreate to crochet and (I鈥檓 still) weaving! I keep a studio area in my home complete with my floor loom and tons of hoarded yarn. I have lots of ideas, so I鈥檓 using this time to try new things and create for the joy of it. I also plan to continue teaching at local art centers, and I鈥檓 thinking through possibly starting a creative blog where I can bring together my love for art, home, and writing.聽
It has been five years since completing my residency at 缅北禁地, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I had there to create exploratory fiber work post-graduation in a supportive community. Community has always played a key role in my creativity, and I鈥檓 looking forward to seeing what iteration it will take in this next phase of my life. The fiber pieces I created during the residency, and the opportunity to have an exhibit at Meredith, helped me build my portfolio and resume as well. One of my weavings from the residency was shown at Artspace in 2022, and I鈥檝e been able to apply to other artist opportunities like exhibitions and teaching jobs. I would still love to do another residency, especially now as a mother, as I feel the shift into motherhood has inspired me in many ways. With more time on my hands, it鈥檚 my goal to apply to a few next year and it鈥檚 also been on my bucket list to go back to Penland. I will be keeping my Instagram @taylormcgeeart up to date and hope to have lots of exciting things to share this coming year!聽
