About
Quin Cheung
The opportunity to participate in the Six felt like a once in a lifetime dream come true. Having never attended a residency before I really had no expectations beyond the desire to expand my practice and learn some new skills. What I came home with was so much more.
Gaining Knowledge. Chandra was very proactive about having each of us establish goals and help us reach them throughout 6 weeks. I appreciated her intentional push towards constant communication and feedback in both directions. When problems arose, it was always an opportunity to learn something new or find a creative solution always in a collaborative, never top-down, approach. I also loved learning from each of the participants and the openness to share knowledge and skills from varied backgrounds without holding back.
Giving Knowledge. When saying yes to the residency I wasn’t aware I’d be expected to teach my own workshop to the group. This initially had me very intimidated, but in the end I realized this was a large part of my growth and development. Also very gratifying to see my cohorts using the skills I shared even after the residency was over.
Generosity. Chandra’s generosity of spirit also translates to her generosity of materials and supplies. There were no limits placed on our studio time, amount of clay we used, minerals or glazes we had access to. If she didn’t have it, she would do her best to get it, or some version of it, for us (which can sometimes be a challenge in rural Italy). She truly wanted to give each of us everything she had to play, practice, fail (forward), grow and succeed.
Museum Exhibition. The opportunity to exhibit our work in the local museum was the goal we worked towards to culminate our 6 weeks together. It was a beautiful and memorable way to finish our time and share the fruits of all our hard work with the local community.
Culture. Chandra made sure we had plenty of opportunity to partake in the food, cultural activities and local experiences. The weekends saw us exploring all the tiny Tuscan Towns and soaking up all the Italian beauty and culture. Not to mention the food at Il Baciarino.... I still dream of the homemade pastas, fresh seafood, and home grown olive oil!
Sisterhood. Growing up with only a brother, it was particularly special for me to live, work and play in an all female environment. While it was difficult to say goodbye at the end of our time together, it’s pretty amazing to know I now have 5 incredible women whom I met as strangers and left as sisters supporting, encouraging and cheering me on in my business and life going forward.
I feel incredibly blessed that I got to experience the inaugural year of The Six. The way I see my ceramic practice and approach to art has dramatically shifted as a result along with my confidence as an artist. The lessons learned, relationships built and cherished memories will travel with me for my lifetime. Thank you forever, Chandra.
Warmly,
Quin Cheung
Melissa Muller
Reflection on The Six Residency, 2025
My time at The Six was transformative in ways both personal and professional. I arrived with a plan to work, but what unfolded was a deeply collaborative, intuitive process that reminded me why I make art in the first place. The setting itself—the landscape, the sensory richness of daily life—slowed me down and created space for experimentation and reflection. I found myself not only making new work, but reimagining how my pieces could live in the world: modular, communal, and constantly shifting with use and interaction.
What made The Six truly exceptional, though, was the people. The group dynamic encouraged generosity, curiosity, and fearless making. Each person’s practice informed and elevated my own, from technique sharing to long conversations about creative purpose and life. I left with lifelong friendships, a renewed sense of direction, and work that carries the imprint of that shared experience. The Six reminded me that art is not a solitary pursuit—it’s a living dialogue, and I’m endlessly grateful to have been part of it.
Pamela Woodworth
Six months has passed since the residency and during that time I have often reflected on just how much more than a new body of work came from The Six Residency at Il Baciarino in the early Spring of 2025.
Usefulness of Preparation - Going into the six week immersive, I had a good idea of the direction and scope of work that I intended to create and how I wanted to create it. At first, I honestly thought that the pre-writing and preparation assignments were busy work, as I often have difficulty putting words together to accurately express thoughts, concepts and ideas, in which I could very easily draw. Yet, now I see and believe in just how important this endeavor was throughout the residency. At the very start, I found it helpful and beneficial to pin down my intent and create a meaningful introduction to the other artists, it was the perfect pre-requisite of self-reflection for the residency.
Strength of Connection - What I was not expecting, and feel incredibly rewarded with, was the powerful and meaningful connection made among the other women artists; all of us working in empowering daily engagement over the course of six weeks. I feel this is the heart of what Chandra intended and by extending her careful thought to the import of women, at day one all strangers, coming together for a common artistic goal in six weeks time.
Power of Synergy - The synergy of the residency, combined with the balance in opportunity to also work independently is the core success of the residency, in my opinion. It is remarkable to reflect how each of us fell into our respective roles with ease through the collaboration and the pliability of our interactions creating an artistic nuturitive six weeks of growth. I appreciated the opportunity to achieve the individual intent and body of work that I created, all while absorbing the benefits of a collaborative environment. This is the prominent impact of my experience at IlBaciarino.
Catalyst for New Work - The new direction my work has taken is the catalyst of the residency, indeed. I have a renewed excitement for forms and surface, and fire. Having my work from the residency (aryballos) juried into the New England Woodfire, Will of the Kiln show 2025 has opened up a whole new range of opportunity and professional connections that I would not have necessarily achieved otherwise. I have renewed excitement for building my kiln and exploring alternative firing techniques. Firing the woodfire kiln at IlBaciarino was truly a transformative experience to me personally and a dramatic impact to my practice. I can only hope to clone that beautiful beast brick by brick, 2026. I love that kiln and the love that surrounds it. And, I am so looking forward to sharing The Art of Fire with others, April 2026.