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Monson Arts

About

History

Monson Arts is an artists' residency and art center in Monson, Maine featuring month-long residencies throughout the year, shorter intensive workshops, and educational partnerships with local secondary schools.

Since it was founded in 1822, the community has had an economy based on natural resources. In the late 19th through the early 20th centuries, slate quarries supported a thriving industry. Moosehead Manufacturing produced wood furniture from 1945 until its closure in 2007. The region also has a rich arts tradition— ranging from Henry David Thoreau, who wrote about the area in The Maine Woods to photographer Berenice Abbott who lived in nearby Blanchard, to traditional makers such as the North Woods Canoe Company in Atkinson.

In the spring of 2017, Maine’s Libra Foundation began investing in the development of an arts program for Monson as a way to spur economic and creative growth in the region. The foundation has purchased and renovated over 20 buildings in the community to be used for residences and studios. Stuart Kestenbaum, former director of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and Maine’s poet laureate, is advising the foundation on the development of the programs.

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  • Deadline: January 31, 2024
  • Residency Length: two to four weeks

The program is open to MECA&D degree-holding alumni for visual arts and/or writing. All artists are given a studio which is a large empty classroom in a former school. In that same building, there is a clay studio with as kiln that offers classes to the public.

There is no fee to attend this residency. Residents will be awarded a $500 – $1,000 stipend, depending on length of stay

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Non graduated alums, SALT graduates, Post Baccalaureate graduates, Continuing Studies faculty and students are ineligible to apply.

Review Process

One alumni applicant is selected through a juried process to attend the Monson Arts Residency for 2 or 4 weeks and will be offered a $500 or $1,000 stipend depending on the duration of their residency. The residency includes meals and housing and can occur in the spring or fall of 2024.

Residencies will be determined based on the quality of work submitted, evidence that the applicant's career will benefit from the residency, that the nature and scope of proposed projects fit within the space and time limitations of the residency and that the applicant is able to work independently and responsibly.

Facilities

  • Basic studio space with access to basic wood shop and metal shop.
  • Residents will be provided a private room with a shared bath.
  • Residents will be provided meals during their month-long stay.
  • Access to the internet will be available at the residency.
  • Many art materials are not generally accessible in the area, so it is best to bring the supplies that you will need.
Companions

Spouses, partners, and children are not allowed at this residency.

Location

Monson is located at the edge of Maine’s North Woods - a 3.5 million acres of forest bordering Canada. It is the last town on the Appalachian Trail before the beginning of the 100-Mile Wilderness that leads to Mount Katahdin.

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Questions

Contact the Alumni Office at 207.699.5018 or email alumirelations@meca.edu with any questions.

Past Residents