The Resort Residency Advantage: Leveraging Guest Relationships for Artistic Growth
Resort-based Artist‑in‑Residence (AiR) programs offer artists something uniquely powerful: direct, sustained access to guests who often have the resources, influence, networks, and enthusiasm to propel an artist’s career forward. Unlike traditional residencies, resorts bring artists into contact with individuals who may be collectors, executives, arts supporters, philanthropists, or cultural decision-makers—all within a relaxed and naturally conversational environment.
Using the lens of a resort AiR program, we will examine how guest interactions can serve as pivotal professional touchpoints—opening doors to exhibitions, commissions, collaborations, mentorship, and long-term patron relationships. The session will demystify how artists can strategically engage with resort guests, present their work with impact, and cultivate supportive relationships that extend far beyond the residency stay. We’ll also discuss best practices for resorts in designing guest facing residency experiences—open studios, in lobby demonstrations, gallery talks, and personalized encounters—that meaningfully connect guests to artists’ processes and careers.
Participants will leave with a toolkit for intentionally using hospitality-based residency environments as career accelerators, driven not by community programming, but by high value guest engagement and professional relationship development.
Resort-based Artist‑in‑Residence (AiR) programs offer artists something uniquely powerful: direct, sustained access to guests who often have the resources, influence, networks, and enthusiasm to propel an artist’s career forward. Unlike traditional residencies, resorts bring artists into contact with individuals who may be collectors, executives, arts supporters, philanthropists, or cultural decision-makers—all within a relaxed and naturally conversational environment.Amanda Haymans
Amanda Haymans is an arts leader, curator, and program designer with more than a decade of experience advancing artist development within hospitality and cultural environments. As Gallery Director and founder of her resort’s Artist-in-Residence program, Amanda has spent the past seven years building an innovative residency model that intentionally bridges artistic practice with high-value guest engagement.
Launched with just seven participating artists, the residency began with a clear vision for meaningful artist–guest interaction within a hospitality setting. Through Amanda’s leadership, strategic relationship-building, and commitment to amplifying diverse artistic voices, the program has grown to support twenty-two resident artists annually. This expansion reflects both rising artist demand and the program’s reputation as a career-advancing environment where artists gain visibility, patronage, and sustained professional momentum.
Amanda’s curatorial approach emphasizes organic, authentic encounters between artists and resort guests—conversations that often lead to commissions and long-term creative relationships. She has developed an integrated residency structure that includes live demonstrations, open studios, pop-up exhibitions, and informal guest engagement, all designed to illuminate artistic process and foster lasting connection beyond a single resort stay.
In addition to her work in hospitality-based residencies, Amanda brings extensive experience in gallery management, artist mentorship, and community-centered curation. Her work prioritizes accessibility, creative storytelling, and the belief that thoughtfully designed environments can unlock transformative opportunities for artists at any stage. Today, she continues to champion hospitality spaces as cultural incubators where artists create, connect, and thrive.
Claire Hardy
Pittsburgh-based artist Claire Hardy has been a cherished part of our Artist-in-Residence program since its earliest years, returning annually to create, connect, and grow alongside our evolving arts community. Over many seasons, Claire has become a clear example of how deeply a residency can enrich an artist’s professional journey. Through daily conversations with guests, live painting sessions, and the immersive studio environment our resort provides, she has formed lasting relationships with collectors and supporters who continue to follow and invest in her work long after her residency ends.
Each year, Claire uses the residency as a creative catalyst—expanding her audience, strengthening her practice, and generating commissions inspired by meaningful personal connections. Her openness, warmth, and genuine enthusiasm for engaging with guests have made her one of our most successful returning artists, illustrating how the residency’s unique setting can accelerate artistic visibility and opportunity. Her continued participation speaks to the program’s impact and the mutually rewarding exchange it fosters between artists and guests.
Claire grew up in California, where an influential middle-school art teacher introduced her to realistic drawing techniques that shaped her early foundation. She continued studying art while earning a business degree from the University of New Mexico, later pursuing classical training at the Art Institute of Florence, where she embraced oil painting. After extensive travel through Europe and the Middle East, Claire settled in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. She
has exhibited widely, served on the executive board of the Pittsburgh Society of Artists, and continues to evolve as a painter. Her work is held in private collections throughout the Pittsburgh region, the Southwest, and Europe.
Don Smith
Middleton, Maryland–based woodturning artist Don Smith has become one of the most beloved and consistently inspiring participants in our Artist-in-Residence program. Returning year after year, Don brings extraordinary craftsmanship along with a calm, approachable presence that naturally draws guests into his creative world. His live woodturning demonstrations—where raw blocks of wood are transformed into refined, functional forms— have become guest favorites, often stopping visitors in their tracks with curiosity and awe.
Throughout his time with us, Don has fully embraced the residency’s potential to support artistic growth. Conversations with guests frequently evolve into commissions, custom orders, and long-standing relationships with collectors. Guests regularly note Don’s generosity in sharing his tools, techniques, and artistic decision-making, and how his openness deepens their appreciation for handmade work while fostering meaningful, personal connections that extend beyond their stay.
By returning annually, Don has cultivated a dedicated audience, expanded his collector base, and elevated the visibility of woodturning as both craft and art. His continued success exemplifies how the residency’s relaxed, authentic environment can meaningfully support an artist’s professional momentum.
After a 43-year career as an electronics field technician with Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies, Don discovered woodworking in retirement. What began as making toys for his grandchildren quickly became a passion for bowl turning. Today, he spends as much time as possible “puttering” in his workshop, creating tactile works that celebrate natural grain, curve, and quiet dialogue between maker, material, and viewer.