Pace House Residency
History
Applications for 2024 are on hold, as we have limited access due to renovations. Applications for 2025 residencies will open in December of 2024.
Kate Gardiner '20 in the studio at the Pace House during her 2022 residency
In 2007, American artist Stephen Pace (1918-2010) bequeathed his summer home in Stonington for use by Maine College of Art & Design as a residency and gallery, to ensure its continued use as an artistic haven.
Stephen Pace was born in 1918 in Missouri and studied at the Art Students League in New York and the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris. He settled in New York and became an acclaimed artist known for his Abstract Expressionist work. In later years, he devoted himself to more representational paintings and drawings. Stephen and his wife, Palmina, bought the Stonington house, a turn-of-the-century sea captain’s residence set on a ledge overlooking the Penobscot Bay, in 1943. They summered there for sixty-four years, until their relocation to Indiana.
About
Residencies are available from mid May through early September for one to four weeks and are open to individuals, families, or small groups, up to eight people total. Application is open to Maine College of Art & Design alumni, faculty, and staff members.
Applications are open to any discipline, but preference will be given to painters, in accordance with Stephen Pace’s bequest. Artists who have not been awarded a residency at the Pace House in the past will also be given preference. Artists may no longer attend consecutive years in a row.
Stipends of $1,000 will be awarded to mid-career artists at the discretion of the jury.
There is no fee to attend this residency.
Non graduated alums, SALT graduates, Post Baccalaureate graduates, Continuing Studies faculty and students are ineligible to apply.
Review Process
A review committee comprised of the Associate Director of Artists at Work & Alumni Relations, one MECA&D Alumni, one MECA&D faculty or staff member, and one member of the MECA&D community will award the residencies.
Proposals will be reviewed on a competitive basis. 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.
Questions
Contact Alumni Relations at 207.699.5016 or email alumnirelations@meca.edu with any questions.
Group Applicants
If more than one person is applying for the residency, the group should select a lead contact person who is a MECA&D faculty member, staff member or an alum. The lead contact person should submit a single application, a combined statement of purpose for the entire group, and is responsible for including all group members' documents into the application.
Please use the Pace House Residency TEAM Residency Application to apply as a group.
Facilities
- Large studio space available in the barn. Pleasant backyard lawn and small vegetable garden. A woodland meadow is accessible through a pathway from the backyard. A scenic lily pond and the main village are within easy walking distance.
- House can sleep up to eight people. There are four bedrooms and a living room. There is also a washer and dryer. A caretaker is located nearby.
- The house has WiFi. Extremely limited cell phone coverage in the area.
- The spouses, partners and children of selected artists are welcome for the full stay. The residency is also pet-friendly but does require a pet deposit. All other non-family members must apply as part of team residency.
- Artists-in-residence are asked to open the house to the neighboring community and visitors two days a week, as part of Stephen Pace’s bequest. During this time they must remain on the property and oversee visitors. Gallery hours are Wednesday evenings from 5:00–7:00pm and Saturdays from 10:00am–2:00pm.
Past Residents
2022
- Rachel Gloria Adams '14
- Annika Earley MFA '16, Adjunct Instructor in Foundation
- Kylie Ford MFA '18
- Kate Gardiner '20
- Connie Hayes '80, Hon. DFA '03 (2020 recipient)
- Lawrence Kumpf '04
- Molly Levine '07
- Kyle Patnaude, Assistant Professor in Metalsmithing & Jewelry
- Simon van der Ven MFA '01
2021
- KT Coleman MFA ’20 & Elias Pierce
- John Fireman
- Amelia Garretson Persans MFA ’16
- Paul Guilmoth ’15
- Penelope Jones ’84
- Joshua Reiman
- Brendan Shea ’18
- Mai Snow ’13
2019
- Shawn Brewer ’12
- Nicole Duennebier ’05
- Dylan Hausthor ’15
- Lucas Ouellette ’18
- Christopher Patch ’98
- Reggie Burrows Hodges
- Mitchell Rasor
- Seth Rogoff
2018
- Isak Applin ’98
- Cat Bates ’09
- Jenna Crowder ’07
- Raymond Douglas Ewing ’12
- Jarrett Mellenbruch MFA ’14
- Veronica Perez MFA ’16
- Kate Greene
- Adriane Herman
- Elizabeth Jabar
2017
- Michel Droge MFA '10
- Julie Freund '81
with Lindsay Hancock, Anne Ireland '94, Anne Niles, Phoebe Porteous, Holly Ready '94, and Jenny Scheu - Ian Goldsborough '14
- Greta Grant '16
with Tabitha Bernard '16 - Adriane Herman
- Hilary Irons
- Kate Katomski '02
- Adrienne Kitko MAT '15
with Meredith Leoni MAT '15 and Ceri Nichols MAT '15 - Sage Lewis '04
- Tessa O'Brien MFA '16
- Isabelle O'Donnell '17
- Mai Snow '13
- Sabrina Volante '14
with Nicole Holmes '14
2016
- Suzanne Anderson '86
- Margaret Lawrence '93
- Bruce Brosnan '95
- Gabriella Sturchio '12
- Adrienne Kitko MAT '15
with Ceri Nichols MAT '15 - Shaun Aylward MAT '15
- Debra Schaeffer MAT '15
- Meredith Leoni MAT '15
- Jonathan Novak '15
- Samantha Haedrich
2015
- Joanne Arnold ‘79
- Greta Bank
- Louise Bourne ‘88
- Thomas Cummins MFA ‘05
- Jeremiah Demme MFA ‘05
- Russell French ‘83
- Shaun Jarvis MFA ‘05
- Mary Anne Lloyd ‘83
- Nancy Gibson Nash
- Scott Nash
- Tim Reimensnyder ‘84
2014
- Cindy Davis '90
- Nikki Farrand '11
- Rena Wood
- Scott Nash
- Russell French
- Nancy Gibson Nash
- Mary Anne Lloyd '83
- Judith Schneider MFA '14
- Kathleen Daniels MFA '14
- Cat Bates '09
- Hilary Irons
- Lawrence Kumpf '04
2013
- Anthony Bragg ’07
- Andrew Haviland ’12
- Emma Sampson ‘11
- Jude Valentine ‘78
- Scott Peterman
- Anne Ireland ‘94
2012
- Mark Jamra
- Larissa Mellor ’04
- Rachael Eastman ’94
- Nik Bsullak ’99
- Dietlind Vander Schaaf
2011
- Richard Abbott '78
- Hannah Barnes '02
- Marguerite Lawler
- Erin Sweeney '94
- Mary Linnea Vaughan MFA '00
2010
- Matt Burnett MFA '06
- Quinlan Corey MFA '06
- Linsey Wallace '08
- Anne Garland '93
- Brett Walker '06