UM-Flint alum McCoy named 2024-25 Flint Artist in Residence

If you ask an artist about their creative process, you're liable to receive as many different answers to the question as the number of artists you ask. For 2024-25 Flint Artist in Residence, Janice McCoy, the process primarily begins with research.

"I start with an area of inquiry, developing some questions on a topic or idea, and then begin researching, or in this case talking with others on the subject to get some answers," said McCoy, a 2018 University of Michigan-Flint graduate with degrees in visual arts education and general studio art. "This information gathering helps me shape and develop my ideas, and the final result is a kind of conversation between myself, the topic, the experts I worked with, and the community."

McCoy originally came to UM-Flint on a full scholarship to study biology in preparation for a future career in veterinary medicine, but her experiences in an Intro to Studio Art class with instructor Tim Kranz inspired her to pivot.

"Biology appealed to me because I love learning about living things and especially ecological relationships, but art was always a secret passion of mine," McCoy said. "As a young person, I hadn't seen examples of someone making a living in a creative profession. Seeing my instructor's art studio downtown, where he was paid to share his technical knowledge and creative process with others—something just clicked for me, opening doors I didn't know existed."

As an interdisciplinary teaching artist interested in printmaking, drawing and painting, McCoy's work has been exhibited across Michigan. She continues to be heavily influenced by the natural world—particularly the green spaces in Flint and the Flint River.

"Several years ago, I participated in a project for the Buckham Fine Arts Project highlighting work done by nonprofits and raising money to support their missions. My print in that series focuses on how the Flint River—which has received so much bad press and has a negative reputation among many in the community for being polluted and causing illness—is thriving with wildlife," said McCoy, a former Maize & Blue Scholar. "The awareness of this ecosystem gives people a more nuanced or complex truth about the river, giving them more to think about or consider when forming opinions about it. With this project, I wanted to focus on the work that the Flint Watershed Coalition is doing to revitalize this natural resource."

One key driver for establishing an artist-in-residence program in Flint was connecting the city's flourishing arts scene with UM-Flint's faculty and students. As part of the Arts & Culture Research Cluster, a cross-campus initiative designed to foster interdisciplinary approaches to curriculum development, research projects and community engagement, the group's first significant achievement was developing and launching Riverbank Arts. The community-first art gallery hosts rotating exhibitions and events that connect UM-Flint's faculty, staff, and students with their neighbors. 

During one of the group's meetings, history professor Thomas Henthorn suggested establishing an artist-in-residence program to showcase Flint's artists and creators.

"We didn't know it at the time, but the University Musical Society in Ann Arbor had a Mellon grant-funded Artist in Residence program that they were kind of trying to find a new home for, specifically to expand its reach," said Benjamin Gaydos, associate professor and program coordinator of art and art history at UM-Flint. "Tunde Olaniran, one of UMS' previous artists in residence, is from Flint and is very dedicated to expanding the reach of Flint's artists and advocated for UMS to move their program to Flint. So it was kismet when Maddy Wildman contacted us about UMS sponsoring the program in Flint."

UMS' primary mission is to present concerts and performances. For several years, it has hosted an artist-in-residence program, bringing in artists from around the world to research, work with faculty and students, and connect with the community.

"Shortly after the pandemic, we had the strong desire to go beyond Ann Arbor and to develop new relationships in different campus communities," said Wildman, who heads up learning and engagement activities at UMS. "We reached out to UM-Flint to see if there was interest, and it was pretty serendipitous that they were considering developing this kind of program simultaneously. It was exciting for us to help develop it as a 'For Flint, By Flint' type of program and build on the connection between community, arts, education, and research at the heart of Riverbank Arts."

Now in its fourth year, the program has received dozens of applications for the coveted role. The main criteria for candidates are that they are previous or current residents of Genesee County and that they will collaborate with UM-Flint's faculty, Riverbank Arts and the Flint community to create artwork that speaks to Flint's unique perspective and offer educational opportunities for both artists and non-artists during their tenure. A committee of Riverbank Arts' board, selected UM-Flint faculty and students, community members, and UMS' Wildman review the applications, select finalists for interviews and ultimately choose the next artist.

"We're looking for artists with a passion for engaging with Flint and its arts community and show off what Flint locals can do for Flint," said William Langford, Riverbank Arts' program director. "Janice is deeply connected to the community here—first as a UM-Flint graduate, but she also teaches at the Flint Institute of Arts and is on the board of Buckham Gallery. She is a great example of what it means to be a working, professional artist, and her work connects the natural and the manmade, which we felt was really timely. Many conversations are going on right now in Flint about what reclaiming our public and green spaces might look like, and Janice's work focuses on bringing people into this larger conversation."

As McCoy develops the work she'll be creating during her residency, she's begun meeting with various faculty at UM-Flint who can provide expertise. Heather Dawson, a professor of biology who focuses much of her research on the Flint River, has become an invaluable resource. 

"You can get so much more out of talking with someone or physically walking along the river than you can ever get from reading about these things in a book," McCoy said. "As I'm in my preliminary research phase, I walk the river, take photos, and talk to community members. This will eventually inform the pieces I create as part of my residency. I'm also visiting some of the same classes I took and talking about my work and professional development, so it feels full circle to be back at UM-Flint and the community of artists who inspired me to choose this path."

McCoy will ultimately create a body of work on campus and work with the campus staff to engage students and the larger community around art and printmaking.

"In this work, as well as the work that I do each day at the FIA, I want to show people, no matter who they are or their artistic skill level, that art is for everyone and that creative acts are part of the human experience. I believe that creativity, in any way, is part of living a fulfilling life, and that's something you can experience across disciplines and fields. Art is vital to all of us—whether you're making it or engaging with it. Art is for all of us."

Learn more about McCoy and her work by visiting her website or her Instagram, @janiceemccoy.