Seeking Out New Inspiration

For artist and educator Katie Hovencamp, creativity often begins by stepping outside of familiar surroundings. 

That philosophy guided Hovencamp’s recent artist residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland, where she spent a week in December 2025 focused entirely on her artistic practice. Surrounded by rolling green hills and a community of writers, dancers, playwrights, composers and visual artists, the experience offered something many artists rarely have: uninterrupted time to create. 

“It was nice to put everything on pause and go somewhere new where I could concentrate on my artwork, hone my skills, and be inspired by the area and the people,” Hovencamp said. “It’s one of the most beautiful, picturesque places you can be.” 

Hovencamp, who joined Northampton Community College (NCC) as an adjunct art instructor in fall 2020, first discovered the residency through Irish author Mary Grehan, whom she met during an earlier residency at the Vermont Studio Center. She previously attended the program in 2015 and returned in 2025 with her father, an artist and NCC student whose work focuses primarily on printmaking and architecture.  

After retiring from work with children’s mental health, Hovencamp’s father began to focus on his art. The pair shared a printmaking studio and spent the residency pursuing individual projects while drawing inspiration from one another’s work. Hovencamp’s father created an etching of the Tyrone Guthrie House and documented the landscape through photographs for future pieces. He made prints for all the residents to take with them as a memento of the experience. 

For Hovencamp, the residency became an opportunity to develop a series that combines camouflage imagery with Victorian wallpaper patterns and architectural forms. Inspired by both the historic estate where she stayed and nearby Victorian buildings, she created drawings of houses concealed within decorative camouflage designs. She used pen and ink, micro pens and Posca pens. 

“The work is commenting on a military state and how it’s slowly being integrated into domestic life,” Hovencamp said. “We’re going about our everyday lives, and these forces are now showing up. You see that disturbance and there’s an integration at the same time where this is slowly merging with everyday life. And you see that in the artwork.” 

Conversations with fellow artists also influenced the direction of the work. 

“They felt some of my artwork was reflective of what’s going on in America at this time,” she said. “I leaned into that.” 

Another artist suggested introducing shades of green into a series that had previously relied on muted metallic tones, a change Hovencamp plans to explore further through future silkscreen prints. 

“It was so helpful to have feedback from other artists,” she said. 

The experience reinforced lessons she now shares with her students. At NCC, Hovencamp teaches courses including printmaking, art history, 2D and 3D design, and media arts, and she wants her students to explore what inspires them to create. 

“I push them to get out of their comfort zone,” she said. “I want them to be okay with getting out and finding a fresh perspective from places that aren’t their regular environment.” 

Whether that means studying abroad, attending an art conference or simply seeking new perspectives, Hovencamp believes travel can be a powerful teacher. She also encourages students to step back from their work and invite feedback from others. 

“Getting different types of artists who are creative in other ways is really valuable,” she said. 

A versatile artist whose practice spans sculpture, metal casting, photography, printmaking and drawing, Hovencamp has built a career that balances teaching with an active exhibition schedule. Her previous residencies include the Vermont Studio Center and the Serde Interdisciplinary Artist Group in Latvia. She recently earned a Linny Award and was recognized as Visual Artist of the Year for 2026.  

Looking ahead, she hopes to exhibit more work in European galleries while continuing to develop the ideas sparked during her most recent residency in Ireland. She will also take part in an upcoming Summer 2026 Artist-in-Residence program at NCC, and she has installed the first ever sculpture featured on West Virgina University’s campus, which will be on view for two years. The piece is reflective of her work in Ireland and back home this spring. 

“I always have about five projects at once,” Hovencamp said. “There’s always something to work on.” 

For aspiring artists, her advice is simple: “If you’re creative, definitely push yourself out of your comfort zone and participate in these programs. It will be surprising to see how much it’ll open up your creative practice.”