Barbara Sullivan (left) works with a student in her fresco workshop, July 2021
Intensive Summer Workshops
Each summer, Monson Arts programs a variety of one-week intensive workshops in our studios which provide an ideal environment to focus on learning and creative work. Taught by instructors renown in their field, these classes are designed to give participants unhindered time where they don’t have to think about anything other than making. Monson Arts provides all meals and the option of housing right in town within walking distance to all of our facilities. The studios are open 24 hours.
A typical workshop includes 10-15 participants and we are able to host two workshops at a time in our facilities. Sessions begin with dinner on Sunday night and conclude before lunch on Saturday. Workshops are open to anyone 18 or older and working at any level from beginners to advanced professionals. Enrollment is on a first-come first-served basis.
Painting workshop with Alan Bray, 2018
2023 Summer Workshops
Our lineup of Summer Workshops for 2023 offers many exciting opportunities to work alongside professional artists, writers, and media producers. We will be offering six one-week workshops in a variety of media scheduled across three sessions that will take place in June and July, including a special session dedicated to audio production and storytelling planned in collaboration with the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies at Maine College of Art & Design. Other offerings include Folklore Writing, Sculpture, Weaving, Painting, and Mosaic. Browse our complete 2023 Summer Workshop catalog below for details and course descriptions.
Michael Stasiuk giving a demo during his mixed media workshop, July 2021
The cost to take a workshop includes tuition, room & board, and materials fees. We offer on-campus housing in a private (single) or double (shared with one other person) room. Room availability is limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you do not need housing, you may register as a day student at a reduced rate. Whether staying on campus or off, all meals are included and prepared by the Quarry Fine Dining restaurant. Fees for materials and supplies will vary for each studio and can range from $25-$100.
TUITION, ROOM & BOARD
Single: $1465
Double: $1240
Day Student: $1015
Day Student Lunch Only: $775
If you are unable to register below because a workshop is full, please contact our office about being on the waitlist. We will let you if space becomes available.
2023 Summer Workshops
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Creating Like A Mountain: Alex Strong and Sally Stockwell
June 19 – 21 (at Borestone)
Would you like to deepen your creative engagement with the Maine woods? This special three-day retreat will immerse participants in the older forests and crystalline ponds of Borestone Mountain. This retreat is open to artists, writers, and creatives, broadly construed, who draw inspiration from the more than human world. This workshop is offered in partnership with Maine Audubon.
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Personal Imagery in Mosaics: Lisa Houck
$250.00June 25 – July 1
Lisa Houck will bring her background as a painter and designer to work with students to develop their compositions and personal imagery in mosaics. In this class we will work with Mexican smalti. These tiles are handmade and they have unusual variations of color and texture. Lisa Houck has worked with this medium for her public art installations because it is touchable, durable and groutable, as well as being painterly and subtle in its colors and textures.
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Story Editing for Audio: Robert Smith
$250.00June 25 – July 1 (Salt Session)
This workshop aims to demystify the role of the story editor in creating audio narratives. Sessions will be a mix of lecture, discussion, listening, and hands-on practice with students editing actual work in progress. This workshop is aimed at mid-career audio producers who want to make the leap to editing but are looking for some concrete skills and guidance to do so. This workshop is offered in collaboration with the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies.
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Finding Form: Roberley Bell
$250.00July 9 – 15
The aim of the workshop is to expose students both beginning and advance to a wide range of materials and processes for finding form three dimensionally. Students will be introduced to methods of drawing that provide for the investigation of form. These form studies will then be used to translate from 2d to 3d. Students will explore processes for quickly massing or sketching form in a non-permanent material (paper and tape, hot glue and wood, assembled found objects). From the early sketch stage students will go on to complete a finished 3-dimensional form in an appropriate material.
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Painting the Maine Woods with Egg, Milk and Water: Ed Nadeau
$250.00July 9 – 15
This workshop is for artists who are interested in expanding their repertoire of water medium materials and techniques. It is designed for individuals to advance their own personal creativity, or to share with their students in classroom instruction. In broad terms this is a traditional water medium workshop that will cover the history, process of making and using egg tempera, casein and watercolor. However, with the advent of many new artist materials, we will also explore the latest in brushes, substrates, sizes, glues, grounds, glazes and varnishes that pertain to each medium.
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Living Words, Folklore and Creative Writing: Peggy Yocom
$250.00July 23 – 29
Long before I wrote stories, I listened for stories. Listening for them is something more acute than listening to them. — Eudora Welty
In our workshop, through the gifts of traditional lore, we will listen for stories, for those moments that are worth writing down on the page. We’ll explore the unsuspected depths of everyday cultural forms and practices that are especially relevant for participants’ own poetry, fiction, and non-fiction writing.
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Weave Where You Are: Ọmọlará Williams McCallister
$250.00July 23 – 29
This course is for everyone and anyone! In this introductory course for beginners we will use lap sized portable looms to weave 3 yards of cloth. Each participant will have the option of finishing their cloth into one of the following: a wall hanging, a set of 4 placemats, a table runner, or yardage that can be used for future sewing projects. Participants will be facilitated through the entire weaving process. We will experiment with design processes, measure out the yarn for our designs, set up our looms to weave, weave, wet finish and hem our pieces.
Latest News > Workshops at Monson Arts
Preview our 2023 Residency Schedule
Monson Arts plans to welcome a total of 100 residents in 2023. Check out our complete lineup of residency dates for next year. Winter applications will be open August 1 – Sep 15.
Preview our 2022 Residency Schedule
Monson Arts hopes to bring a total of 100 residents in 2022 making it our busiest year yet. Check out our complete lineup of residency dates for next year. Apply now for Spring sessions!
Summer 2019 Public Programs
See our lineup of fee public programs being offered this summer including evening talks by artist/ instructors, exhibits, demonstrations, and film screenings.
Summer Workshop Catalog
Our one-week intensive summer workshops provide an ideal environment to focus on learning and studio work. Register online for one of eight workshop offerings in 2019.
2019 Residency and Workshop Schedule
We have just finalized our schedule for 2019 with some exciting new opportunities for residencies and workshops. Save the dates now and stay tuned for more details about specific programs in the coming months.
Immersive Audio Workshop, September 2-5
A new workshop offered over Labor Day weekend is now open for enrollment. This three-day intensive will explore new ways of defining and creating immersive storytelling through technology, events, editing, sound design, and reporting techniques.
Slow Art with Alan Bray, July 22-26
Sign up today for our inaugural workshop and spend 4 days drawing and painting in Monson this summer!