Artists Association of Nantucket

06/17/2026

🎨Have you spied any plein air artists out and about the island this week? It’s AAN’s 15th Plein Air Nantucket, a painting festival. Fresh works of the day are hung daily at AAN’s Cecelia Joyce & Seward Johnson Gallery at 8 Federal for viewing and purchase. Join us for a closing reception and Frank Swift Chase Awards on Thursday 6/18 at 4pm!

06/17/2026

Join us for this workshop June 23-25!
Christie Scheele teaches only a handful of times, sharing her knowledge of the intricacies of color , shape and composition to create impactful landscape imagery. A “mood colorist,” she focuses upon composition , reducing a landscape to its essentials and mixing cohesive, expressive palettes.

Learn more and register at www.nantucketarts.org!

06/09/2026

The Artists Association of Nantucket is pleased to welcome acclaimed landscape painter Christie Scheele as our Artist in Residence from June 21–27. A full-time professional artist whose soft-focus, minimalist landscapes are held in hundreds of private, corporate, and museum collections across the U.S. and abroad, Scheele is recognized for her masterful use of color, shape, and composition. Read on to learn more about Christie:

AAN: What’s the first piece of art you ever made?
CSl I was at it all of the time as a toddler and preschooler, and announced that I was an artist at age five.

AAN: What’s the most interesting studio you’ve ever had?
CS: My garret apartment in Madrid was nice, but I loved my Union Square studio in NYC. It was small but ran lengthwise along 16th street with a long window over a pediment, and I loved that big, pediment-shaped window that so defined the space.

AAN: What’s the first work you ever sold?
CS: In high school I was an exchange student in Potosi Bolivia for a year. I went to the local college for art classes until they closed down after yet one more violent demonstration, and I was left to my own resources. Mostly I drew realist portraits in pencil. I did a few commissions for which I was paid (maybe $10 in Bolivianos?).

AAN: When you start a new piece, where do you begin? How do you know when you’re done?
CSl I begin in the most obvious place, often the horizon. The composition is key, so I work out from that first edge or shape loosely with a large brush until I have the shapes provisionally laid in and can proceed with next stages. As a minimalist at heart, I don't overwork. But I examine every square inch of the canvas before I sign off, mostly for effective shapes and edges. It's done when it clicks, an almost audible jolt to my system.

AAN: Do you listen to music or podcasts when you’re making art?
CS: Sometimes. I am also drawn to silence and the sound of our Catskills stream gurgling (or roaring) behind my studio.

AAN: When did you first feel comfortable saying you’re a professional artist?
CS: My younger sister likes to tell folks that I am a "mortgage paying artist". This has been true for over 25 years, so being a professional artist is just a statement of fact, and with it brings mostly good but some downside as well. (Many folks, including artists, don't realize that I am always working on deadline, for example.)

AAN: What last inspired you?
CS: The Rashid Johnson exhibit at the Guggenheim.

AAN: What are you reading?
CS: I always have a nonfiction and a literary fiction going, currently "Here Comes the Sun" by Bill McGibben and "Flashlight" by Susan Choi.

AAN: What’s your favorite artwork by someone else?
CS: Almost any of the Rothkos, barring just a few of the murkiest late pieces.

AAN: Why do you come to Nantucket?
CS: I was first invited to teach in 2016, and have done teaching and traditional residencies at the AAN. Having spent many years previously and since doing those things - as well as exhibiting - on the Cape and Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket feels special to me for its small-container variety of ecosystems and views and the richness of the year-round community.

06/02/2026

Artist in Residence Tim Horn arrives June 7th for AAN's Plein Air Festival!

Tim will be presenting an Art Talk on his work and process on June 8th and will be teaching a Plein Air Painting class on June 16th and 17th.

Read on to learn more about Tim and his process:

AAN: What is your day like? How much do you sleep, and what’s your work schedule? How many hours of creative work do you think you do in a day?
TH: In a good night, I’ll get about 7 hours of sleep. I start my day with some exercise, usually about a 1 hour bike ride in the rolling hills of Marin. On a good day, I might get 5 hours of painting in the studio. Often times it’s only 2 or 3. I am always frustrated with how much time I need to spend in front of the computer. Organizing workshops, communicating with students, dealing with galleries, shows, framing, blah blah blah.

AAN: What’s the first piece of art you ever made?
TH: The first piece I remember was a crayon drawing of our family cat. I had my mom draw an oval for the head to get me started, then I took care of the rest. My dad framed it, and it hung in our hallway for years. That gave me a nice boost.

AAN: What’s the most interesting studio you’ve ever had?
TH: When I was still doing graphic design I had a great studio in NYC in the Bowery. About 600 sq ft with a big skylight, 13 foot ceilings and worn wood floors. No plumbing though. I ended up building a 15 foot rowing skiff in there, taking it out the second story window when it was finished.

AAN: When you start a new piece, where do you begin? How do you know when you’re done?
TH: I always start by blocking in my shadow areas using ultramarine. Basically a loose value pattern or “notan”. Once the painting is underway, it’s just a whole bunch of problem solving. Going around fixing things that don't work or that I don’t like. Once I’ve fixed everything then I’m done.

AAN: Do you listen to music or podcasts when you’re making art?
TH: Yes, mostly music. I stream Radio Paradise - a very eclectic musical mix with no commercials. Been listening to that for years.

AAN: When did you first feel comfortable saying you’re a professional artist?
TH: Once I started making a living at it.

AAN: What’s the last thing that made you change your mind?
TH: Failure

AAN: What last inspired you?
TH: Museum visits always inspire me. The last show I saw was Sargent in Spain. And I thought, wow, what a great idea - I want to spend 6 months painting in Spain too!

AAN: What’s your favorite artwork by someone else?
TH: Anything by Joaquin Sorolla.

05/20/2026

05/20/2026

🌱Join us for an exhibit/reception and talk celebrating the work of Environmental Artist in Residence Jenny Hersh at the Visual Arts Center at 24 Amelia Drive TONIGHT from 5-7pm. Hersh has been investigating erosion on the island, speaking with island scientists, and then returning to her studio to render what she observes in cut paper. The work of her Cyanotype students will be on display as well. Light refreshments will be served. Thanks to the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation for funding this residency.

05/19/2026

Our newest Artist in Residence Jaimee Todd arrives May 26th! Read on to learn more about her:

AAN: What’s the first piece of art you ever made?
JT: It's hard to say what exactly it was as I started drawing voraciously when I was six years old. I liked to make dozens of drawings in a short period of time because I was narrating stories that I made up. I think it was my way of trying to animate cartoons.

AAN: What’s the most interesting studio you’ve ever had?
JT: My current one! It's a wonderful space with an engaging community of artists housed in a newly renovated floor in an old factory building in Brooklyn. The studio owner put a lot of thought into making it feel welcome. We have a wonderful kitchen space, which is where most of the other artists socialize. There's also a cozy little nook around the corner in front of a fantastic window view, where I like to have my lunch and recharge mentally. We have a lounge and a gallery for exhibitions. I think that since we feel so cared for as artists, it's easy to build community there. My favorite thing to do is visit other artist studios to see what they're working on and how they organize their spaces.

AAN: What’s the first work you ever sold?
JT: I was making these brightly colored postcard drawings in between breaks at work. My coworkers saw what I was doing and asked to buy them. The first one I sold was of an abstract drawing of a black cat.

AAN: When you start a new piece, where do you begin? How do you know when you’re done?
JT: Because I work in abstract collage, I often play with various arrangements according to how abstract shapes fit together and how the colors complement each other. I have a rough idea of what I like to create in my head but most of what I do is improvisational. I know when I'm done when adding another makes the work feel too cluttered or heavy.

AAN: Do you listen to music or podcasts when you’re making art?
JT: Both. I especially like listening to science and history podcasts and NPR's Fresh Air. When I'm not listening to podcasts, I enjoy listening to a variety of music but most especially Latin Jazz and lately I've been really getting into Amapiano, which is a form of South African house music. My work is colorful, layered and energetic and I like to listen to music that reflects that.

AAN: When did you first feel comfortable saying you’re a professional artist?
JT: When I started getting commissions with The National Black Theatre in Harlem several years ago. They reached out to me several times to create artwork for their educational and theatrical events.

AAN: Is there a meal you eat on repeat when you’re working?
JT: I eat lightly when I'm working so I don't get drowsy. I always eat lentil or some other type of vegetable soup, hummus and cucumber and a couple of squares of dark chocolate.

AAN: What’s the last thing that made you change your mind?
JT: The weather. I was tempted to run off to the studio and work all day on a Sunday. I had worked a lot all week and probably needed a break. It was such a beautiful day that I took the day off and went for a walk instead. I'm glad I did, because it helped clear my mind.

AAN: What do you usually wear when you work?
JT: Cargo pants or sweatpants, a t-shirt and a hoodie with very comfortable sneakers.

AAN: What last inspired you?
JT: About two weeks ago, I was sitting in a kick-off meeting for a residency that I'll be participating in later this summer on Governor's Island. Each of the artists took turns describing their current body of work and what inspired them. It was so exciting to be in the presence of so many fascinating ideas and approaches to making art.

AAN: What are you reading?
JT: I just finished reading To Ride A Riding Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose, which is part of an ongoing fantasy series. The book is about an Indigenous woman and her dragon fighting against colonialism for her people's independence. The setting takes place in the 1840s in an alternate version of North America settled by Scandinavian Vikings instead of the British.

AAN: What’s your favorite artwork by someone else?
JT: It's hard to narrow it down to one but I love Pacita Abad's trapuntos mask paintings. I was lucky enough to see an exhibition of her works at PS1 MOMA in Queens and I fell in love with her majestic and colorful trapuntos. Of that collection, my favorite is Bacongo III.

AAN: Why do you come to Nantucket?
JT: While doing a residency in Manhattan last year, a visitor urged me to go to Nantucket and apply for one of the AAN's openings. She described the wonderful atmosphere of a diverse community set in such a beautiful setting and I was ready to create art in a setting that contrasted sharply with the city's high energy. I used to visit Martha's Vineyard as a child and I was eager to return to a similar environment.

05/11/2026

Join Artist in Residence Jaimee Todd for an explosion of colorful creation! She is teaching three One Day Workshops in May- create a Paper Mobile, a Mixed Media Magnet or a Bubblewrap: Tissue Paper Coage this May!
Learn more and register at www.nantucketarts.org!

05/05/2026

AAN Artist in Residence Jaimee Todd arrives in May! Join her in a celebration of color at one of her one day workshops this spring: Mixed Media Magnet Collage, a Paper Mobile, or Bubblewrap/Tissue Paper Abstract Collage. Find more info and register at www.nantucketarts.org!

04/28/2026

We are looking forward to welcoming Environmental Artist in Residence Jenny Hersh, who arrives this weekend for a three week residency funded by the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation. Read on to learn more about Jenny:

AAN: What is your day like? How much do you sleep, and what’s your work schedule? How many hours of creative work do you think you do in a day?
JH: Every day is varied and different from the next. I'm phototropic so if the sun's out, so am I. Some days l do creative work for 12 hours, some for only a few hours and everyday is spent absorbing, learning and watching the world. As for sleep, like most artists, I don't get enough, as I relish in the quiet hours after midnight.

AAN: What’s the first piece of art you ever made?
JH: It's hard to remember, as I’ve been making art longer than my mind can recollect. A portrait of my Mum and a crudely drawn house were pieces where I first felt how art could expand my world.

AAN: What’s the most interesting studio you’ve ever had?
JH: A repurposed and renovated horse stable where a couple stalls became my studio.
Most commonly though, I make work from the kitchen table or floors of whatever home I'm living in at the time.

AAN: What’s the first work you ever sold?
JH: Most likely one of my childhood drawings for my aunt, in a mock sale that landed me a few quarters.

AAN: When you start a new piece, where do you begin? How do you know when you’re done?
JH: I begin with research, writing, sketches and photographic studies. Most of my works begin from questions. I know when I'm done when I either have an answer or enough new questions for another piece.

AAN: Do you listen to music or podcasts when you’re making art?
JH: Both, but generally podcasts. My rotation includes the news, political discussions and storytelling.

AAN: When did you first feel comfortable saying you’re a professional artist?
JH: I accepted this title when I realized that no other word quite encapsulated my relationship to life and work. This feeling grew as I deconstructed my need for a more “legitimate” title and an understandable linear path. I felt a more full chested embodiment of this title three years ago after producing a solo show. In hind sight, I can whole heartedly say I've always been an artist.

AAN: Is there a meal you eat on repeat when you’re working?
JH: I'll always take a break from work for sweets, preferably chocolate.

AAN: What’s the last thing that made you change your mind?
JH: Recently, I was a production designer on a few collaborative film projects. During this time, I happily changed my mind to the suggestions and improvisations of the crew.

AAN: What do you usually wear when you work?
JH: Layers. Working in the horse stable is cold but warmed by a wood stove. The trudge through the snow and biting wind can be sub zero and by the end of the day, the studio can reach over ninety degrees.

AAN: What last inspired you?
JH: Filming projects with friends expanded my creative spirit and fulfilled me in ways that only collaboration, play and hard work can.

AAN: What are you reading?
JH: Sweetness and Power, by Sidney Mintz

AAN: What’s your favorite artwork by someone else?
JH: It's always hard for me to choose just one. Artists that have moved and inspired me for a while now are Salman Toor, Saif Azzuz, Paola de la Calle, Khari Johnson Ricks, Ziba Rajabi and Michael DiRosa.

AAN: Why do you come to Nantucket?
JH: I'm fascinated by islands. I have spent many seasons working on Martha's Vineyard so I'm keen to discover the parallels and differences with Nantucket. The island will be fertile ground for me to study erosion and how it affects Islanders sense of place and priorities. In a future of climate change and unpredictability, I think inter-island solidarity and knowledge sharing will become even more important. I look forward to exploring the community and natural world of Nantucket. I am excited to learn from the longstanding artistic and scientific organizations on the island.