Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is celebrating its 75th year in existence. To honor Haystack’s impact on the community, Maine State Rep. Holly Eaton presented a legislative sentiment to the school during the annual open house on August 8.
“I’m very pleased to present this legislative sentiment, and more importantly, to thank Haystack for everything that it has meant for Deer Isle and surrounding communities over the past 75 years,” said Eaton.
Read MoreAnyone who has wondered what the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is all about will have a few more chances to find out at presentations, end-of-season auctions and walk-throughs coming up. Studio assistant fellows, who assist workshop faculty and support students, among other responsibilities, will share their work, ideas and influences at special presentations.
Read MoreThe Blue Hill peninsula’s maker scene was born out of the renowned Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, a modernist campus of cedar-shingle buildings on Deer Isle that offers exhibitions and workshops throughout the summer, and WoodenBoat School. The latter is situated in Brooklin, a small town that attracts the same kind of creatives as that other Brooklyn, who check into the Brooklin Inn and shop at Brooklin General Store. Queue up for sourdough and wood-fired pizza at nearby Tinder Hearth in Brooksville. And finally, the town of Blue Hill’s charming main street is lined with independent cafés and shops, the most inspiring of which is Working Loose, named after a ’70s Quaker-inspired book about the importance of vocation over work.
Read More“Before there was GPS, there was always a moment when you wondered if you had taken a wrong turn,” said Stu Kestenbaum, describing the drive to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts after its move to the Deer Isle campus in 1961. Even today, “it feels far away, and getting there manifests as a creative journey, underscored the minute you walk up and take it all in as it reveals itself,” he says.
Read MoreCraftspeople have been integral to Maine for centuries, and Maine has a national reputation as a center for fine craft. From Wabanaki baskets to clay pots to wooden furniture, these functional and beautiful items represent deep cultural values. We talk with people involved with Maine’s active craft community about the role crafts play in the state’s culture and economy.
Read MoreIn this Craft Coalition column, the former director of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts reflects on the value of ideas as craft institutions open, close, change, evolve, shift, and grow.
“We don’t embark on a journey to arrive at the answer we know, but we discover one as we work.”
Read MoreHaystack Mountain School of Crafts, perched on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean’s Jericho Bay, is celebrating its 75th season of workshops for people who want to take a deep dive into a craft, whether they are beginners looking to try something new or more experienced makers who need time, space and support to push forward with new artistic endeavors.
From the start, Haystack has taken an unusual approach to crafts education.
“We are radically flexible in the way that we do things, and in our pedagogy,” said Executive Director Perry Price, who took over from Paul Sacaridiz in 2023. “There’s no faculty that’s the same. There’s no matriculated students. People come for two-week sessions, and then they leave.”
Read MoreAcross the country, artists are working in strong craft traditions—from woodworking and ceramics to fiber arts and metalworking (to name a few!)—with many pushing the boundaries of craft by using new technologies and processes to innovate on what we understand craft to be and where it is placed in the art canon.
In this article, we’re highlighting organizations who are supporting and uplifting craft, including their current and upcoming opportunities for craft artists.
Read MoreMaine Preservation has announced the 20 organizations granted funds by The 1772 Foundation in 2026. Grants were provided for exterior repair and restoration including painting, surface restoration, chimneys, porches, roofs, windows, foundations and sills, masonry repointing, and installation of fire/security systems. Projects were evaluated by Maine Preservation staff, who also will administer the grants. Each grantee was required to have matching funds for its project.
Read MoreDEER ISLE—Haystack Mountain School of Crafts opened its 75th season by hosting the annual Island Workshop Day on May 2, welcoming residents of Deer Isle, Stonington, and the greater Blue Hill peninsula for a special day-long creative arts program. According to a press release, the program is designed to accommodate participants of “all skill levels and backgrounds.”
Support for the 2026 Island Workshop Day participants came from the Deer Isle Artists Association, the release said.
Read MoreToday we’re sharing a piece in celebration of the school's 75th year, in conversation with Haystack Executive Director Perry Price. We talk about the history of Haystack and the iconic campus that is perched on a cliff above the Atlantic Ocean; why it still calls itself a school of craft and not art; how the craft school experience differs from an academic institution; and finally, how Haystack has approached teaching technology.
Read MoreFor 75 years, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts has been bringing craft artists and educators to Deer Isle on Maine’s central coast to connect, learn, create, and innovate. Some of those who have walked the iconic central campus stairway down to the water’s edge and slept in the cedar-shingled cabins have gone on to reshape the field of craft.
As part of the School’s 75th anniversary, the Distinguished Speaker Series will highlight several of the visionary artists and thinkers who have also been guiding voices at Haystack.
Read MoreLocated in a scenic spot on the Maine coast, the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is an iconic place for people who create. Founded in 1950, Haystack offers an array of programs including one and two-week studio workshops to participants of all skill levels as well as the two-week Open Studio Residency program. The School also hosts exhibitions, tours, auctions, artist presentations, and shorter workshops for Maine residents and high school students. As Haystack celebrates its 75th anniversary year staff are taking time to reflect on its significant contributions to the field and to the community.
Read MoreAmong Haystack’s speaker series scheduled for its Deer Isle campus this summer are Stuart Kestenbaum, former poet laureate of Maine; sculptor Syd Carpenter, former chair of the art department at Swarthmore College; and woodworker Rosanne Somerson, former head of the Rhode Island School of Design. Photos courtesy of Haystack.
Read MoreDo you love tinkering?
Been longing to learn your way around a 3D printer, table saw or pottery wheel but don’t want to invest in expensive equipment? Or are you simply looking to expand your horizons in the company of avid creators of all ages and backgrounds?
One of Maine’s makerspaces may be just the ticket.
A makerspace is a cross between a lab and a workshop, a place that gives hands-on creators, from novice hobbyists to expert engineers, the equipment and support they need to bring their ideas to life—and forge community in the process.
As makerspaces gain in popularity, if you don’t see any in your area now, there may well be one soon. (A word of caution: if you are unfamiliar with how to use a particular tool the correct and safe way, ask an experienced fellow maker or staff member—they’ll be glad to help.)
Read MoreFor many makers, opportunities to focus solely on creative exploration—without the pressure to produce work for sale or prove our worth through finished pieces—feel impossibly rare or reserved for those along a traditional academic path. When you discovered your craft later in life, already juggling mortgages and responsibilities you can't simply walk away from, where do you turn for intentional study and community that actually fits your reality? Craft schools exist outside traditional academia, offering experiences from weekend workshops to multi-week residencies that welcome makers at every stage—and in celebration of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts' 75th anniversary, Perry Price shares what makes these singular learning experiences so transformative.
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