Beginning in 2022, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts partnered with Galen Koch, a Maine-based Radio Producer and Writer, to conduct interviews with individuals connected to the School—including those with both longtime, as well as more recent, relationships with Haystack, and whose participation with the School ranges from former and current faculty, program participants, trustees, and staff. As part of an active gathering of archival materials for Haystack, individuals were invited to sit for archival interviews in person, over Zoom, or on the telephone. Their voices and recollections help tell the story of Haystack.

The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts archival interview series has been archived and shared digitally on Maine Sound + Story—a multimedia archive that helps tell the story of the state of Maine, its citizens, and ancestors—created and managed by Koch, providing public access and engagement. Over three years (2022–2024), Koch interviewed a total of twenty-six individuals for this initiative. Interviews that are still being edited and finalized will be added to these sites on a rolling basis.

This project is in partnership between Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and Maine Sound + Story, and was generously funded in part by Lissa Hunter, Ann Powers, and Claire Sanford, with grant support from the Maine Community Foundation's Belvedere Traditional Handcrafts fund and the Onion Foundation, and additional operating support from Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and the Windgate Foundation.

Special thanks to each of the individuals interviewed as part of this initiative, as well as the many who assisted interviewees with Zoom or telephone interviews.

SHARE YOUR HAYSTACK MEMORY

We want to hear about your Haystack experience! As Haystack moves into our 75th year of programming, it is important for us to preserve the histories of our craft community for the next generations of makers.

See the Memory Share section below to learn more!

JANET ANTICH

An artist and animator based in Portland, Maine, Janet Antich served as a Technical Assistant in the 2022 workshop, Rolling and Folding, led by Matt Shlian and Valpuri Remling. The workshop used mathematical forms to create intricate paper designs.

ELLIOT CLAPP

Elliot Clapp is the Innovation Director for the Division of Experimental and Foundation Studies at the Rhode Island School of Design. He has come to Haystack for more than a decade as a Fab Lab Resident, workshop faculty, and participant.

SIGRIDUR HELGA HAUKSDOTTIR

Sigrídur Helga Hauksdóttir (Sigga Helga) is an artist and designer who has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts, Reykjavík Art School of Visual Arts, Reykjavík's Adult Educational Center, and in the Reykjavik FabLab. She has served as a Fab Lab Resident four times.

WENDY MARUYAMA

Furniture maker, artist, and educator Wendy Maryama has been making innovative work for over 40 years. She has been involved with Haystack since 1978, having attended as a workshop participant and faculty, plus served on the Board of Trustees.

MARGRET OSKARSDOTTIR

From Reykjavik, Iceland, philosopher and literature and film scholar Margrét Óskarsdóttir (Madda) is an artist and teacher at the Reykjavik Adult Education Center and in the Reykjavik Fab Lab. At Haystack Madda has served as a Fab Lab Resident four times since 2016.

ELEANOR ROSENFELD

Life Trustee Eleanor Rosenfeld's connection to Haystack began when she attended her first workshop in 1977, returning for nearly 20 more over 40 years. Rosenfeld and her late husband Sam have long supported the School, creating opportunities for students and faculty.

CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR

Christopher Taylor is a concert pianist and piano performance teacher at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has been building a reinvented and modernized version of the Steinway piano. Taylor participated in the 2023 Haystack Labs.

NICOLE BAKKER

Nicole Bakker is a graduate research assistant at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) in the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Bakker participated in the 2023 Haystack Labs.

ROBERT HART

Rob Hart managed a makerspace at Harvard University, integrating digital fabrication and hands-on learning. He has participated at Haystack as a winter resident and Fab Lab Resident, as well as attended Haystack Labs and a studio workshop.

JANET HOLLINGSWORTH

Janet Hollingsworth is Vice President of STEAM and Innovation at The Possible Zone in Boston. At Haystack, Hollingsworth has been a Fab Lab Resident, taught during Student Craft Institute, and has twice been invited to participate in winter community residencies.

ALFRED MERRITT

Since the School opened, Al Merritt, son of Haystack’s Founding Director Francis Sumner Merritt, has been a friend and longtime supporter of Haystack’s programming and opportunities for artists. Merritt also served on the Board of Trustees.

MARILYN PAPPAS

Marilyn Pappas is an artist and art educator known for fiber art. Pappas attended her first workshop at Haystack in 1971, after which, and over more than 40 years, she participated in several more workshops and a Summer Conference.

ROSANNE SOMERSON

Life Trustee Rosanne Somerson is a woodworker, furniture designer/maker, educator, and former President of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She has taught and participanted in Haystack workshops since 1994, and served on the Board of Trustees; two years as President.

SUSAN BRALOVE

Sue Bralove's involvement with Haystack began as a student in a 1968 workshop. She has participated in numerous workshops since, has been a conference participant, and served on the Board of Trustees; two years as President.

CANDACE HASKELL

Candy Haskell served as the second Registrar at Haystack, a role she enjoyed for more than 40 years before her retirement in 2019. She managed the office and was a constant presence and greeter for all who attended programs.

DANA MARINGO

Dana Maringo is a computational designer with expertise in performance footwear and data driven designs. Maringo participated in the 2023 Haystack Labs, during which she collaborated on projects involving AI-generated designs and material explorations.

NANCY MERRITT

Nancy Merritt is a longtime supporter of Haystack’s programming and opportunities for artists. She first came to Haystack in 1961 where she met her now husband, Al Merritt. She has participated in numerous workshops since.

ALFONSO PARRA RUBIO

Alfonso Parra Rubio is a graduate student at the Center for Bits and Atoms at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he focuses on research, engineering, structural origami, sculptural work, design, and glass. He participated in the 2023 Haystack Labs.

CHRIS STALEY

Ceramic artist and educator Chris Staley taught for over three decades at Penn State. His connection to Haystack dates to 1990 when he first taught a ceramics workshop. Over the years, he has served as a board member and recently participated in Haystack's Open Studio Residency.

We want to hear about your Haystack experience!

As Haystack moves into our 75th year of programming, it is important for us to preserve the histories of our craft community for the next generations of makers.

Knowing that there have been many and varied experiences at Haystack over seven decades, we are inviting individuals from the broader Haystack community to share their voices, stories, and reflections to add to the School’s archival materials. Files shared will be retained by Haystack for archival purposes and may be used for research, communications, marketing, and promotion. 

We hope you will consider sharing a treasured Haystack memory, lesson learned, anecdote, or discovery. Written responses, photographs, videos, and audio submissions are encouraged.