Mentorship Monday: Bill Griffith : Thaddeaus Erdahl Bill Griffith, Gatlinburg, TN: “I first met TJ in 2009 when he interviewed and was selected for a one year, resident artist position at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Like many of our resident artists, TJ came to Arrowmont immediately out of a strong graduate program, highly talented and motivated. Through my close involvement and interaction with resident artists during the one year program, I experience each resident as an artist, teacher and also get to know them personally as I work with them and learn from them. My strong association with TJ is based partly on his amazing skills and talents as a ceramic artist but equally his ability to communicate, share and inspire. Upon completion of his one year residency, we hired TJ as Arrowmont’s Program Manager due to his experience and also his passion for the School’s mission and programs. During the year he was employed as program manager, I invited TJ to assist me as co-coordinator of Arrowmont’s 2010 Figurative Association: The Human Form in Clay, a national symposium and exhibition. While working together on this all-consuming project, I feel we bonded on new levels as “counselors, coaches, and friends” through the many demands, challenges and rewards associated with this major event. I often deferred to TJ for his ability to research information immediately using his technical resources and contacts unfamiliar to me. In return, I provided TJ my years of administrative experience and knowledge in designing templates, budgets, networking contacts and relationships outside of academia. We shared our mutual admiration and respect for each other’s wisdom. We work well together and continue to make a great team as we co-coordinate the 2014 Figurative Association: The Human Form all media symposium and exhibition. After leaving Arrowmont, TJ has continued to do good work as an elementary art teacher at Princeton Day School in Princeton, NJ and his career as an artist continues through many juried and invitational national exhibitions as well as teaching workshops throughout the United States.” Thaddeaus Erdahl, Princeton, NJ: “Bill and I began a friendship in the summer of 2009 when I was selected as one of the artist-in-residents at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Bill has a unique ability to balance a professional relationship with that of a caring friend. Our relationship has continued to evolve over the course of 5 years as we have related to each other as fellow artists, co-coordinators and good friends. Bill possesses qualities that I admire such as hard work, professionalism, and a commitment and dedication to a cause. We often bounce ideas off of one another with not only work in the studio but also professional choices and concerns with future events. I can always count on him to lend the kind of advice that only a true friend can give. Bill is also a fun guy to be around and hes almost always in good spirits. Bill is a generous soul and he wants those around him to be happy. He reminds me of qualities that I want to build in myself.”
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 18:30:00 +0000