Kaitlyn Tucek & Matt Tripodi: “Meeting artists with children is everything.”
Parts & Labor! What a residency! San Antonio! What a city!
Matt and I (and the kids) had a wonderful time. What a vibrant art city, filled with such a generous community. We felt totally invited into various art scenes by Meaghan, Liz, and Matt as well as board member Maya and family. We can’t thank you all enough for providing these types of opportunities to artist families. It feels special and inclusive to be seen for your work, even with two kids in tow.
From Kaitlyn:
I really appreciate the support in creating such an ambitious piece. I know it was a lot to ask, and I’ve been trying to create this for some time now, so I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the no-questions asked and all hands on deck response. The house was beautiful, comfortable and fully stocked with everything we might need. The kids felt engaged and were so grateful for the extra accommodating items. It’s one thing to feel cared for as an individual, but it’s so much more when you feel like your kids were also taken care of. Thank you so much for inviting us.
It was especially helpful that Maya and Craig set up numerous dinners and get togethers for us. This helped us see the various areas of the art scene in the city. It was a pleasure to meet Cruz and Olivia Ortiz, see their community spaces. It was amazing to visit the studio of Joey Fauerso and Matt Kleberg. The variety of art being made and shared was awesome to witness.
From Matt:
I got in late with the kids, 10 days after Kaitlyn’s arrival and after a comfy night’s sleep… wow, San Antonio has birds!!! No alarm clock needed. The house was fantastic and immediately comfortable for everyone, which really helped to speed up the “settle in” period—no small thing. After some time in the morning watching the avian party over coffee, and a quick riverwalk with the family, I was able to get busy making things. I’ve been pretty time-limited at home with work and it was fantastic to have the space to unplug and play in the studio.
Meaghan and Liz were super supportive and created a very low pressure environment to create and explore some ideas that I had been mulling around for some time. The freedom to experiment is really appreciated. (That didn’t really keep me from putting a bit of pressure on myself to come up with something to be proud of). The community support was warm and welcoming and seemed to be a common through-line across the city itself. San Antonio is incredibly friendly. It was especially nice having Maya and Craig to introduce us to the circles of friends and show us a few of the hidden gems in and around the city. Insider knowledge is precious. Side note: meeting artists with children is everything. I feel really lucky to have had this residency and am only sad that I can’t do it again!
