Chester Made launched its inaugural Artist and Storyteller Residencies in January 2020. The first cohort of Chester Made artists hosted experiential workshops on wellness tea talks, glorious stilt walks and vibrant canvas chalks. We honored our history, our hearts and hopes as we grew even stronger in community.

This month we caught up with two more of the past Chester Made Artist Residents whose programs were cut short in early 2020 due to the pandemic. Tune in to their interview videos below to hear from artists Damien Parson and Kenneth Hunt about how they’ve continued to remain creative and connected to the City of Chester following their residency.

Damien Parson is a tattoo artist and entrepreneur from Miami, FL who moved to Chester, PA and co-founded the Abstract Art Gallery with his business partner Kenneth Hunt. Parson brings his tattoo talent and sketching skills to the Avenue of the States and offers impressive words of wisdom during his tattoo consultations.

We heard from Parson about how he remains creative, what advice he'd give young artists, his favorite Chester Made moment, and so much more.

Connect with Parson on Instagram @miami_p_tattoos

Kenneth Hunt is an international artist & creator of #TheArtMonster. He is a writer, musician, chef, photographer, videotech, architect, art teacher, muralist, trainer and mentor. You can find him leading workshops, planning murals, scheduling gallery events and making connections all along the Avenue of the States.

In his interview, Kenneth shares about what inspires his art work, how he finds balance, what his hopes are for the future of Chester Made, and so much more.

Connect with Kenneth on Instagram @Kenneth_Picasso