Haystack At 75: Announcing Distinguished Speaker Series
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts extends its mission to connect people through craft by partnering with craft institutions nationwide for its Distinguished Speaker Series, part of a year of special programming celebrating 75 years since the School’s founding.
“As Haystack celebrates its anniversary, we honor the singular and resilient community that keeps us moving forward. From our celebrated and iconic campus to the dedicated staff, participants, and faculty that reinvent the School each season, this Speaker Series will champion our connections and strengthen our commitment to visionary craft education, both on Deer Isle and across the country.”
The Distinguished Speaker Series will highlight leading voices from Haystack’s former faculty, staff, participants, and community. The event series will begin on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 with a presentation by Perry Price as part of the UW–Madison Art Department Visiting Artist Colloquium. On Thursday, April 9, a free afternoon lecture by ceramic artist Roberto Lugo at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia will complement the opening of Lugo’s solo exhibition, American Crib: What's Happening? The following week, artist and Crafting the Future Director Corey Pemberton will present “For the Love of Humanity” in partnership with the Museum of Art and Design in New York.
Three distinguished speakers, including Syd Carpenter, Rosanne Somerson, and Stuart Kestenbaum, will deliver immersive lectures on the Haystack campus in Deer Isle, Maine, during the summer 2026 season. In the fall, the series will conclude with a curated panel of artists at the MFA Boston (details forthcoming).
Information on tickets and registration for individual lectures will be available on partner institutions’ websites.