Haystack At 75: Celebrating 75 Years of Programming
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts announces Haystack at 75, a year of special programming in 2026 celebrating 75 years since the School’s founding.
“Haystack has influenced generations of artists, designers, makers, and architects. Many voices have shaped the School into what it is, but the core of our work and the ideas we adhere to are very much the same. We are thrilled to celebrate 75 years of the School’s legacy of experimentation, collaboration, and community-building.”
Founded in 1950 as a research and studio program in the arts, Haystack’s first decade near its namesake mountain in Montville, Maine, was truly an experiment in education and community. When the state of Maine needed to move a road that would bisect the original campus, disrupting the retreat-like setting, leadership looked to a coastal location where they could resettle the School.
American architect Edward Larrabee Barnes (1915-2004) designed the Haystack campus on Deer Isle, which opened to the public in the summer of 1961. The architectural plan situated a series of modest structures on a granite ledge overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, built in a vernacular style with local materials and interconnected by a series of walkways that encourage community while seeming to float above the forest floor. His project for Haystack quickly gained attention and, over the years, would become recognized as an architectural masterpiece and an icon of American modernism. The School was awarded the coveted Twenty-five Year Award from the American Institute of Architects in 1994 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
To commemorate the diamond anniversary, Haystack will hold regular programming as well as host new Signature Programs both on the Haystack campus (89 Haystack School Drive) and across the country throughout 2026.
SIGNATURE PROGRAMS*
Haystack at 75 Birthday Celebration | December 8, 2025
The official kickoff event for Haystack at 75 - join us on the 75th anniversary of the founders’ living room gathering at the Millhouse, where Maine craftspeople—Edgar and Marjorie Sewell, Elizabeth Crawford, William and Estelle Shevis, Ralph Thompson, and Harold and Barbara Todd—prepared articles of incorporation.
Haystack at 75 Regional Presentations | January - December 2026
Haystack goes on the road with a history-driven storytelling program. The tour includes stops in Boston, MA; New York, NY; and Philadelphia, PA.
Haystack at 75 Speaker Series | April – September 2026
The event series highlights leading voices from Haystack’s faculty, alumni, and craft community, including presentations and cultivation events featuring acclaimed visiting artists. Invited speakers include: Roberto Lugo, Corey Pemberton, and Rosanne Somerson.
75th Anniversary Summer Benefit | July 2026
Haystack’s signature fundraiser and celebration event in support of the Haystack at 75 Major Gift Initiative.
Open House | August 2026
Haystack’s Open House will feature open studio demonstrations and activities, a special presentation on the history of Haystack, and other family-friendly activities.
*Event schedule subject to change.