Fall 2009

Katie Greene (left) and Katy Helman at the opening reception for their show.

Haystack's long history and celebrated programs are the subject of an exhibition at the Center for Maine Craft.

Throughout the month of September, an exhibition featuring Haystack Mountain School of Crafts was on display at the Center for Maine Craft, located at the West Gardiner Travel Plaza. The Center for Maine Craft is a subsidiary of the Maine Crafts Association, which promotes education, understanding and appreciation of the work of Maine craft artists and their importance in Maine’s rich and varied economies and distinctive communities.

The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts’ exhibition at the Center for Maine Craft included work that represents the various aspects of Haystack’s programming and exemplifies the kind of exploration encouraged at the school. In addition, the work and accompanying narratives, demonstrate Haystack’s broad impact both in Maine – at the community level and state-wide – and nationally. Work by glass artists Dale Chihuly and Dante Marioni, potters Mark Bell and Cynthia Bringle, mixed media artist Warren Seelig, blacksmith Farrell Ruppert, and Brett Gagne, a student who studied blacksmithing with Ruppert in Haystack’s High School Mentors Program, were in the show.

Read about these artists and their connection with Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.

Mark Bell	Cynthia Bringle	Dale Chihuly
Dante Marioni	Farrell Ruppert	Warren Seelig

 

The Center for Maine Craft, which opened in November 2008, was created through the collaborative efforts of Maine’s premier craft organizations seeking ways to encourage growth and increase awareness of the significant role craft artists play in Maine’s culture, economy and heritage. The Center offers authentic handcrafted works by Maine artisans, cultural tourism information, exhibits of fine craft, demonstrations by talented craftspeople, and Maine handmade goods, books, music, film, and food. It is the first statewide enterprise of its kind to represent Maine craft artists in all mediums. 

 

Summer 2009

Haystack Creative Process: RISD Connection, Haystack's second summer exhibition, was on view at the school's Center for Community Programs, in Deer Isle village, from July 26 through September 6. The show included work by John Dunnigan, Eck Follen, Alphonse Mattia, Rosanne Somerson, Charlie Swanson, and Peter Walker (in photo, from left to right), who have all taught at Haystack and are also furniture design faculty at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Some have also been students here or participated in other conferences and workshops. This exhibition also included visual and narrative elements.

Read the individual narratives and view work from the artists included in Haystack Creative Process: RISD Connection. 

 

Bobby Hansson and friends use found object musical instruments during a performance at Haystack's Center for Community Programs.

The first exhibition of the summer, Arthur Ganson/Bobby Hansson was open at the Center for Community Programs from June 7 through July 19. The show featured the work of these artists, who have both taught at Haystack. Ganson creates kinetic sculpture and Hansson works with recycled tin and a variety of other materials. While their techniques vary, both artists make work that is at once whimsical and profound. The exhibition included both visual and narrative elements and addressed how the artists’ creative processes have been influenced by their time at Haystack.

Read their narratives, included in Arthur Ganson/Bobby Hansson.

 

Arthur Ganson, left, and Bobby Hansson joined in an impromptu music fest during a closing reception for their show. Photo by Chehalis Hegner.

 

Spring 2009

An opening reception for the Student Mentor Program, held in early April, drew a large crowd for the event.

Haystack's Student Mentor Program, in its 11th year, took place from February through early April. The program places high school students from Deer Isle-Stonington High School and George Stevens Academy, Blue Hill in local artist studios for several weekends where they can work in an intensive and individualized setting.

The program culminates with an exhibition of student and mentor work and is held at Haystack's Center for Community Programs.

 

 

 

Local community members gathered at the opening reception in October for Haystack's fall exhibition.

Fall 2008

On Sunday, October 19, Haystack held an opening reception for the fall exhibition, Island Community Quilters, at its Center for Community Programs in Deer Isle village. The show was a celebration of the creative spirit and artistry of the Island Community Quilters and their contributions to the community. 

The Island Community Quilters, together since 2002, are an informal group of women who meet to exchange ideas and information about quilt-making. They gather on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month – September through June - in Stonington, to learn new techniques, share processes, and promote the craft of sewing. They create detailed traditional quilts and design complex patterned one- of- a kind quilts and wall hangings. The group members design and sew nap quilts for the island’s Head Start children. They create 10-12 new quilts each year, and every fall they present the quilts to the incoming children at a special tea party held for them and their families.  In addition, each year the women create a stunning large scale quilt and give it to their meeting host as a token of appreciation.

Quilters who participated in the show include, Terry Bovee, Myrna Graves, Janet Hutchinson, Valorie Jandreau, Anette Jaquette, Lorraine Knowlton, Barbara Merritt, Win Pusey, Judy Rittmeyer, Rosie Robbins, Sue Sheldon, Nancy Smith, Janice Sulinski , Gail Sytsema and Tootie Varisco.

 

Summer 2008

Haystack: Creative Process, the summer exhibition at Haystack's Center for Creative Programs, featured the work of Haystack faculty and students whose creative processes have been influenced by their time at Haystack. Focusing on the work of contemporary American artists, the exhibition included both visual and narrative elements. Since the experience at Haystack is not only about technique, but also about giving people the time and space to develop ideas, individual works were accompanied by text in the artist’s voice explaining the impact Haystack has had on their work and creativity.

The artists in the show represented a variety of media and aesthetics as well as a wide range of experience from long established masters to emerging leaders in the field.  Arline Fisch, for example, first came to Haystack in the 1950s;  Sean Albert, grew up in Bath, Maine and first came to Haystack less than a decade ago when he participated in Haystack’s Student Craft Institute, a program for Maine high school students. See the show! Choose from the list of participating artists below to read their individual narratives and view their work* included in Haystack: Creative Process. 

*an image accompanies most narratives

 

Spring 2008

Students in the Mentor Program work in local artists' studios and exhibit work at Haystack's Center for Community Programs.

Haystack’s Student Mentor Program took place this year from February through April. Nine makers from Deer Isle and the Blue Hill Peninsula (Mark Bell, Bruce Bulger, Ann-Claude Cotty, Mary Howe, Chris Joyce, Chris Leith, Farrell Ruppert, James Walsh, and Fred Woell) worked with thirty-one students. The work the students made, along with work by their mentors, was exhibited at the Center for Community Programs from April 18-May 9. The opening was held in conjunction with an Open House at Haystack’s Administrative Offices and Center for Community Programs and featured live music by PATTYCAKE 600, a band of local high students, one of whom participated in Haystack’s programs for teens.

Funding for the Student Mentor Program was provided from a donor advised fund of the Maine Community Foundation and support for exhibitions was provided by the Benwood Foundation.

 

Fall/Winter 2007

Island residents made beaded packets during the fall workshops.

From November 14 to December 16, 2007, a traveling exhibition called Beaded Blessings, developed by artist and Haystack trustee, Sonya Clark was on display at the Center. The show was comprised of over 4000 beaded prayers inspired by African amulet traditions.

Sonya Clark led two half-day workshops as part of the Beaded Blessings exhibition.

Each contributed piece is a sealed beaded packet containing the written wishes, hopes, dreams and prayers of the international participants. These beaded prayers were created by participants in workshops led by Clark, who was on site in November to talk about the project, for a reception, and to lead two half day workshops at the Center with Island residents as part of the exhibition. The completed pieces from those workshops will be added to the exhibition.  To date, Beaded Blessings has been displayed throughout the US and in Australia, Brazil, and Ghana.

 

Spring/Summer 2007

On June 24, 2007 Haystack opened the doors to the new Center for Community Programs. The opening exhibition featured the work of students and faculty who participated in Haystack's 2007 Student Mentor Program.

Local high school students work with artists in the community as part of the Haystack Mentors Program.

The Haystack Mentors Program provides a unique educational experience in the arts for high school students in our local community. Each spring, approximately 40 students the local area are placed in local artist studios for several weekends where they receive training in an individualized and intensive setting. By working with artist in their local communities, students are able to develop relationships with their artist neighbors, and become familiar with arts education resources in their community. Participants in the Student Mentor Program are selected by teacher nomination or by self-nomination.