For more than forty years, Open Door has welcomed Maine residents to campus for an intensive three-day weekend and is designed for individuals, 18 and over, of all skill levels and backgrounds.

Workshops are taught by established artists from across the country. The combination of uninterrupted time and the unique setting of the Haystack campus provide a wonderful experience for participants to explore new processes or deepen their studio practice. The program is also widely recognized for its ability to serve Maine-based art educators, who often attend Open Door to acquire professional development experiences.

Given the interest in this program, Haystack accepts people based on a lottery system and is open to Maine residents age 18 and over who reside in the state for more than 9-months of the year.

Open Door is supported in part by Haystack’s Program Endowment, with additional funding provided by individual donors and granting agencies.

BLACKSMITHING | Brazen Vessel
Evan Fay

Join this hands-on workshop to explore the art of torch brazing with silicon bronze! Learn essential techniques to join round and square steel tubes along with surface finishing methods, creating custom frameworks ideal for table-side botanical displays. This creative and instructional session is fit for artists, designers, and makers interested in functional metalwork with a sculptural expression. No prior experience required—just bring your curiosity and a love for thoughtful, handcrafted design.

Evan Fay (he/him) is an American-born furniture designer, maker, and educator currently working and living in Detroit, MI. His work focuses on intuitive building systems and spontaneous form within the realm of functional objects that express an obvious nature of craft and structure. In 2014, Fay received a BFA in Furniture Design from Kendall College of Art and Design, and an MFA in 2016 studying 3D Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

evanfayfurniture.com    @evan_fay_furniture

FAB LAB | Laser-cut Textile Jewelry
Jenine Bressner

Using textiles and other natural materials, we will design and laser-cut components to assemble into wearable forms as jewelry. We will consider color relationships and size gradients, as well as function and iteration of designs. We will not be laser-cutting acrylic or other synthetic materials on campus. All levels welcome.

Jenine Bressner (they/them) lives and works in Providence, RI. They received a BFA in Glass and an MFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and attended the pilot year of MIT's Fab Academy. Their practice focuses on lampworking glass and laser-cutting textiles, and they have worked with Martha Stewart, Calvin Klein, and Oprah. Bressner also works as a union organizer to protect a vibrant community of art studios and small businesses in a Victorian textile mill currently threatened by gentrification.

jenine.net @jbfireworks

CERAMICS | Narrative in Clay
Alex Anderson

This workshop will focus on giving form to the self through non-representational sculptural narratives rendered in clay, using the language of contemporary art and the material opportunities of the medium. The workshop will offer techniques in coil building, slab building, and rendering, and will also be an open space for technical questions participants may have in relation to their own practices. The workshop will conclude with a group discussion of each student’s works. All levels welcome.

Alex Anderson (he/him) is a ceramic artist who lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Anderson received a BA from Swarthmore College and an MFA from UCLA. He studied abroad at the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute and received a Fulbright Grant to study ceramics at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. His work is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Arts and Design and has been reviewed by Artforum and the Los Angeles Times.

alexalexalexalex.com @100alexanderson

FIBER | Paint, Stitch, Collage: Telling Stories Through Fiber Art
Rosa Chang

In this workshop, participants will explore storytelling through fiber art using stitching, painting, and collage techniques. Participants will learn embroidery skills, experiment with color, and combine materials to create a personal visual narrative—figurative or abstract. All levels welcome.

Born in Seoul, Rosa Chang (she/her) is a Baltimore- and New York–based artist exploring the relationship between humans and nature through natural materials. She focuses on Korean and Asian indigo dye traditions, fostering community engagement around these practices. Chang teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and directs Hand Papermaking, Inc., a nonprofit advancing the art of papermaking. Her natural dye work was recently featured on CBS Mornings.

rosafulgarden.com @rosaful_garden

GRAPHICS | Introduction to Lettering
Jay Peterson

Workshop participants will learn to draw three basic alphabets: Script, Roman, and Sans Serif. First with pencil and basic drafting tools, then using calligraphy pens, and finally, brush lettering on card stock or painted plywood. Participants will display their newly learned skills by laying out and executing a small sign, which they may keep. All levels welcome.

Jay Peterson (he/him) has been a working sign painter for fifty-two years. He is one of the few still employing old school methods, with limited use of computer graphics.

jaypetersonsigns.com

METALS | Everything Begins Again
Kat Cole

In this found object workshop, participants will bring a variety of small- to medium-sized objects to deconstruct, re-imagine, and build into jewelry or small sculptures.  Participants will learn and use a variety of basic metalsmithing techniques and tricks to build their work.  Using copper or brass, we will saw, rivet, tab, sew, stamp, and roll to transform their found materials.  Previous metalsmithing knowledge is helpful but not necessary.

Kat Cole (she/her) works from her home in Columbus, GA, where she maintains a full-time studio practice. Cole is an artist, educator, and community collaborator. She received an MFA from East Carolina University and a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Cole’s work is internationally recognized and has been exhibited across Europe, Asia, and North America.  Her enamel work has been published in Lark Books’ 500 Enameled Objects, Schiffer Publishing’s Art Jewelry Today 3, Metalsmith Magazine, Ornament, American Craft, and Art Jewelry Magazine. Cole is included in numerous private and public collections, including The Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, Racine Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Enamel Foundation, and the Houston Museum of Fine Art.

kat-cole.com @katcolemetalsmith

WOOD | Introduction to Bowl Turning on a Pole Lathe
Eric Goodson

Learn to turn wooden bowls on a traditional foot-powered pole lathe in this hands-on workshop. Starting with freshly filled logs, participants will learn to ax bowl blanks, mount them on their lathes, and use hook tools to turn one or more bowls. The workshop pays special attention to bowl design and effective turning techniques for both tip-up and tip-down tools. Pole lathe turning is a physical activity and requires a certain amount of stamina and coordination.

Eric Goodson (he/him) is a green wood turner and carver based in Newbury, MA, making functional woodenware inspired by Scandinavian traditions. Goodson creates hand-carved bowls, cups, spoons, spatulas, and more—designed for daily use and to bring a touch of functional sculpture to everyday life.

goodson-woodcraft.square.site  @goodsonwoodcraft

WRITING | The Pantoum as an Emotional/Imaginative Exploration
Myronn Hardy

Let us explore how the pantoum, a Malaysian poetic form, guides the poetic imagination through repetition and emotion.  We will discuss poems by Natasha Trethewey, Natalie Diaz, Charles Baudelaire, and A.E. Stallings, among others. In this generative workshop, we will experiment with our own pantoum making and how this form guides, reshapes, and extends our notions of poetics. All levels welcome.

Myronn Hardy (he/him) is the author of, most recently, Aurora Americana (Princeton University Press).  His books have garnered the PEN/Oakland Josephine Award, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Poetry, and the Griot-Stadler Prize for Poetry. Hardy’s poems have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, POETRY, The New Republic, The Georgia Review, The Massachusetts Review, The Baffler, and elsewhere. He is an associate professor of English at Bates College.

@myronn.hardy

Given the interest in Open Door, Haystack accepts people based on a lottery system and is open to Maine residents age 18 and over who reside in the state for more than 9-months of the year. Open Door workshops are open to all skill levels, from beginners to advanced professionals, unless otherwise noted in the workshop description.

We encourage anyone interested in applying to Open Door to review the Fees & Policies.

Application closed for 2025.
Acceptance Notifications: Friday, August 22

Participants are responsible for the combined cost of Tuition and Room & Board. Please see the chart for an overview of rates.

When indicating your preference for housing, be sure to include your first and second choice on your application. While we make every effort to accommodate participants’ first housing choice, we cannot guarantee it based on availability. For an overview of housing options, please see the Housing page.

Meals costs are included in all Room & Board rates, including Day Student rate—meals are never a separate or pro-rated cost. There are no exceptions.

Upon acceptance to Open Door, participants will be sent an invoice for the full balance of tuition, room, and board. The full balance must be paid no later than Friday, August 29. Participants will forfeit their workshop spot if the full balance is not made by the payment deadline.

Cancellation Policy: For cancellations received by September 12, a refund will be given—less a $100 cancellation fee. No refunds beginning September 13. All cancellations must be made in writing to the Registrar at registrar@haystack-mtn.org.