Professional Practice:

The Pursuit of Authenticity in the Arts with Epiphany Couch

What does it mean to be an artist today? How do we navigate the changing art landscape? How do we seek opportunities that feel authentic to our goals as artists and creators? This course blends playful exploration with practical skill-building to provide artists with the tools and insights needed to navigate their artistic journey with authenticity, integrity, purpose, and resilience. Through engaging discussions, hands-on exercises, and case studies, participants will emerge with an understanding of how to authentically thrive in the complex and dynamic landscape of the contemporary art scene. Together we’ll tackle topics like project management, new technology, arts writing, and more.

NEW Student Partial-Scholarships
- Partial Scholarships for Artists age 50 & over (Partial-Scholarship Awards of $250)
*Continuing students who are over the age of 50 need not apply, TAAS automatically applies this support to your tuition.
** Payment Plans Available

Jan 19th - March 1st

Fridays
12:30 - 3 pm EST

16
Students Max

$1,250 New Student
$1,000 Returning Student
USD

Epiphany Couch is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and arts project manager. Her artwork explores generational knowledge, storytelling, and our connection to the metaphysical. By re-contextualizing classic mediums such as bookmaking, beadwork, photography, and collage, she presents new ways to examine our pasts, the natural world, and our ancestors. Couch’s work is unapologetically personal, drawing from family stories, her childhood experience, archival research, and her own dreams. She utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to create images and sculptural works that hold space for reflection, transforming from mere things into precious objects — intimate and heirloom-like.

Couch is spuyaləpabš (Puyallup), Yakama, and Scandinavian and grew up in caləłali (Tacoma, Washington). Her work has been shown at Carnation Contemporary in Portland OR, Gallery Ost in New York City, and Yuan Ru Gallery in Bellevue WA. In 2022 and 2023 she received the Jurors Choice Award for her work included in the Around Oregon Biennial at The Arts Center in Corvallis, Oregon. She lives and works in Portland, Oregon, and is a member of Carnation Contemporary Gallery.

"Reflection" (2010) Paper, linen thread, and resin. 28 x 12 x 3 inches
"Buried by White Ways" (2022) Linen cloth, bookboard, satin, buckskin, paper, linen thread, beaver wood, glass beads and paper doily. 23 x 10.5 x 23 inches
"Ringleader of Disorder" (2021) Paper, rawhide, leather, and metal. 10.5 x 15 x 1 inches
Inside detail: "The History of Forgetting" (2020) Collage, vellum, linen thread, wood, and hair. 7 x 4.5 x 2.25 inches
"Truth Has Another Face" (2010) Paper, vellum, collage, bookcloth, found object, and hair. 7.5 x 3 x 3 inches

More Classes

Live online classes with the world’s best artists and curators

Carving Connections

An independent study workshop with Amber Imrie

In Carving Connections, we will be following the threads through our practice, into our community and out into the world. Everything is connected, but to see through the chaos we must move with clarity, intention and passion. Over six months we will engage in exercises to further illuminate your authenticity through your art. We will focus on strengthening your daily art practice routines to build resiliency, confidence, and self-assurance.

Monuments

With Krzysztof Wodiczko

In “On the Use and Abuse of History for Life,” Friedrich Nietzche asked, “What is the use to the modern man of this ‘monumental’ contemplation of the past, this preoccupation with the rare and classic?” That was 1874. Today, monuments to racism, white supremacy, colonialism, war, patriarchy, and oppressions across the world are toppled, disgraced, vandalized, and defaced. The course will provide space for an informed and open discussion and for development and sharing of the artistic concepts, and proposals for monuments.

Professional Practice for Artists

with Lexa Walsh

In this 7 week class, we will move intently toward building our professional practices as artists. We will cover the many ways to be in the Art World(s), and how to get there: Goal Setting, Grants, Budgets, Pricing, Residencies, Open Calls, Artist and Project Statements, Elevator Pitches, CVs, Documentation, Websites, Networking and Promotion, and the importance of Community. We will share tips and strategies to help define and finesse each of these, by identifying our audiences, contexts, processes, research and challenges.