From Hong Kong to Maine: Mr. Behm’s Summer of Art and Community

When I returned to Wayland in 2024, I made it a priority to continue a studio practice that challenges me technically, conceptually, and professionally. I never want to stop learning. Every new technique and idea makes me a better teacher and a stronger maker. My teaching and practice continually inform one another. My students inspire me with their energy and potential, while my work in the studio generates new projects and processes for the classroom. Residencies are an essential part of keeping that momentum alive.

This summer I was fortunate to take part in two residencies, each very different in what they offered. My first was in Hong Kong, a week-long teaching residency at Hong Kong International School. Working with middle-school students, I led a collaborative installation of more than 300 handmade clay dim sum sculptures. I began by making a prototype dumpling and then moved into mold-making workshops with each class. Using molds allowed every student to add their own details and personality to the dumplings. Students became so invested that they showed up during lunch, free blocks, and after school just to make “one more piece” for the project. The week ended with glazing workshops and firings, and the final installation is scheduled to be completed this September.

The second residency was in Eastport, Maine, with the Tides Institute and Museum of Art. For nearly a month, I worked in an empty storefront studio in the easternmost town of the continental U.S. The residency provided studio space, housing, funding, and direct opportunities to engage the local community. I focused on creating a new body of work that built on two series from my last solo exhibition. This work uses found ceramic objects to explore themes of loss, separation, and memory. Over the month, I created 20 new sculptures that will be shown together this spring.

The most powerful part of Eastport was the community engagement. Residents joined me in breaking figurines as a cathartic release, often sharing stories of grief and the difficulty of letting go of loved ones’ belongings. Some rushed in figurines they had found tucked away and asked if they could smash them; others returned to the studio, pointed to a finished sculpture, and exclaimed, “I broke that one!” At the end of the residency, I hosted a studio exhibition and artist talk where community members saw themselves reflected in the work and in our shared human experiences.

These two residencies, each different in scope and purpose, recharged me creatively and also sparked changes within the Wayland art program. This fall we’ve rolled out new offerings that include honors-level courses across disciplines, fundamentals classes spanning a wide range of media, and independent study options tailored to student interests. Not every teacher gets to design curriculum while spotting bald eagles or humpback whales in the harbor. It was a summer filled with extraordinary opportunities and deep gratitude for the communities that welcomed me, and moreover for a school that supports each faculty member’s passions.