Visit Haystack in its 75th Season for Public Programs Series

Media Alert Issued: May 4, 2026
CONTACT: Kate Lochner, [email protected]
Download Photos: https://adobe.ly/42J7FII

Visit Haystack in its 75th Season for Public Programs Series

Deer Isle, Maine - In its 75th season, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts invites visitors to the Deer Isle campus for the 2026 Public Programs series.

Coinciding with each of our summer sessions, Haystack faculty, Visiting Artists, studio assistant fellows, and Fab Lab Residents share their inspirations, ideas, and work. These presentations take place in the Gateway Auditorium (89 Haystack School Drive, Deer Isle, Maine) and are free and open to the public.

Executive Director Perry Price shares, "As Haystack recognizes the anniversary of that first summer of sessions in 1951, we are excited to share the ideas and voices that have made the School such an important site for craft education, innovation, and community - voices that both celebrate our past and inspire our future."

Part of a year of special programming celebrating 75 years since Haystack's founding, the Distinguished Speaker Series highlights leading voices from the School's faculty, alumni, and craft community. Haystack is thrilled to welcome Syd Carpenter, Rosanne Somerson, and Stuart Kestenbaum back to the campus, providing participants with an opportunity to connect with luminaries in the field.

Public campus tours are held June-August every Wednesday at 2:00 PM. For the months of July and August, a second tour will take place on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM. Suggested tour admission is $5 per adult, and pre-registration is required. To sign up for a campus tour, visit haystack-mtn.org/visit.

Join participants and faculty at the end of each session for a self-guided Walk-Through of the studios and campus. Studios will be open with faculty and participant work on display. Walk-Throughs occur on the last Thursday* of each session from 3:30-5:00 PM.

The End-of-Session Silent Auction will be open throughout the duration of the Walk-Through, and a Live Auction will begin at 5:00 PM. Auction proceeds benefit Haystack's Fellowship programs and studio improvements.

In August, Haystack will host a free Open House featuring artist-led activities in our studio spaces. The studios and campus will open to the public from1:00-5:00 PM with artists from the wider community on hand offering demonstrations, answering questions, and leading opportunities for visitors of all ages.

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is generously supported by individual donors, partner organizations, and foundations.

*The Studio Walk-Through for Square ONE takes place Wednesday, July 8 from 4:00-5:00 PM. There will not be a silent or live auction. The Studio Walk-Through for Session 6 takes place Friday, August 28.

Public Programs Schedule

Presentations

Monday, June 8: Antonius-Tín Bui, Visiting Artist; Lynn Duryea, Ceramics; Holly Walker, Ceramics.
7:00 PM

Tuesday, June 9: Anna Koplik, Blacksmithing; Rachael Levine, Fiber; Brett Taylor, Graphics.
7:00 PM

Wednesday, June 10: Matthew Hebert, Wood; Laura Mochales Matte, Metals.
7:00 PM

Monday, June 15: Session 1 Studio Assistant Fellows.
4:30 PM

Monday, June 22: Shelby Elizabeth Doyle, Fab Lab Resident; Leah Buechley, Fab Lab Resident.
7:00 PM

Tuesday, June 23: Celeste Flores, Blacksmithing; Amara Hark-Weber, Fiber; Zahra Almajidi, Metals.
7:00 PM

Wednesday, June 24: Keith Simpson, Ceramics; Christina Boy, Wood; Taro Takizawa, Graphics.
7:00 PM

Monday, June 29: Session 2 Studio Assistant Fellows.
4:30 PM

Monday, July 6: Rhea Vedro, Blacksmithing; John Fifield-Perez, Fiber; Tom Martin, Writing; J Taran Diamond, Metals.
7:00 PM

Tuesday, July 7: Gillan Doty, Ceramics; Emma Senft, Wood; Jaida Grey Eagle, Graphics; Adam Zapotok, Fab Lab.
7:00 PM

Monday, July 13: Hannah Vaughan, Metal Fabrication; Vivian Beer, Metal Fabrication.
7:00 PM

Tuesday, July 14: Tali Weinberg, Fiber; Laura Wood, Metals; Daniela Rivera, Graphics.
7:00 PM

Wednesday, July 15: Yuri Kobayashi, Wood; Chris Staley, Ceramics.
7:00 PM

Monday, July 20: Session 3 Studio Assistant Fellows.
4:30 PM

Monday, July 27: Eli Nixon, Visiting Artist; Alexandra Bachmayer, Fab Lab Resident; lee wilkins, Fab Lab Resident.
7:00 PM

Tuesday, July 28: Ibrahim Said, Ceramics; Spookah, Graphics; Wu Hanyen, Wood
7:00 PM

Wednesday, July 29: Eleanor Ingrid Rose, Metals; Angie YooJin Kim, Fiber; Cedric Mitchell, Glass.
7:00 PM

Monday, August 3: Session 4 Studio Assistant Fellows.
4:30 PM

Monday, August 10: Aurora Robson, Fab Lab Resident; Marshall Coles, Fab Lab Resident; Christopher Kerr-Ayer, Glass.
7:00 PM

Tuesday, August 11: Fernanda Gaspar, Fiber; Adeye Jean-Baptiste, Fiber; Mia Kaplan, Metals.
7:00 PM

Wednesday, August 12: Aspen Golann, Wood; Taylor Wright Rushing, Graphics; Courtney Martin, Ceramics.
7:00 PM

Monday, August 17: Session 5 Studio Assistant Fellows.
4:30 PM

Monday, August 24: Lara Henderson, Fab Lab; Robert Alan Grand, Writing; Miles Gracey, Wood.
7:00 PM

Tuesday, August 25: Jeremiah Ibarra, Ceramics; Ziba Rajabi, Graphics; Jessica Calderwood, Metals.
7:00 PM

Wednesday, August 26: Megan Stelljes, Glass; Stephanie Metz, Fiber.
7:00 PM

Thursday, August 27: Session 6 Studio Assistant Fellows.
4:30 PM

Visit haystack-mtn.org/visit for detailed descriptions of Public Programs.

Distinguished Speaker Series

Thursday, June 25: Syd Carpenter, Ernestine: A Mother Pin Constellation.
7:00 PM

Thursday, July 16: Rosanne Somerson, Practice Makes Practice.
7:00 PM

Thursday, August 13: Stuart Kestenbaum, What's All This Temporary Construction? Reflections on Haystack and the Creative Process.
7:00 PM

Location: Haystack Mountain School of Crafts

Address: 89 Haystack School Drive, Deer Isle, Maine, 04627

Visit haystack-mtn.org/haystack-75 for more information on the School's 75th anniversary programming.

Campus Tours

June Dates: Wednesdays: June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24
Time: 2:00 PM

July + August Dates: July 1, July 15, July 22, July 29, August 5, August 12, August 19, August 26
Times:10:00 AM + 2:00 PM
Location: Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Address: 89 Haystack School Drive, Deer Isle, Maine, 04627

Suggested tour admission is $5 per adult, and pre-registration is required. To sign up for a campus tour, visit haystack-mtn.org/visit. Tour participants will need to navigate uneven terrain and many stairs. Out of respect for workshop participants, the tours do not enter studios or other buildings. For safety, the buildings and shoreline are closed to visitors. Dogs (and other pets) are not permitted on tours or other campus visits.

Studio Walk-Throughs and End-of-Session Auctions

Dates: Thursdays: June 4, June 18, July 2, *July 8 (Wednesday), July 23, August 6, August 20, *August 28 (Friday)
Location: Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Address: 89 Haystack School Drive, Deer Isle, Maine, 04627
Studio Walk-Through: 3:30-5:00 PM
End-of-Session Auctions: Silent Auction opens at 3:30 PM; Live Auction begins at 5:00 PM

Please note that while the studios are open to the public during the campus Walk-Through, the dining hall is only open to staff and program participants.

Open House

Date: Saturday, August 8
Time: 1:00-5:00 PM
Location: Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Address: 89 Haystack School Drive, Deer Isle, Maine, 04627

Free for all ages - Open House includes artist demonstrations; activities in media, crafts, and techniques explored at the School; snacks and beverages available.

Image Credits
Download Photos: https://adobe.ly/42J7FII

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The community gathers in the Gateway auditorium for an evening of artist presentations, photo by Dan Rajter, 2023. Image courtesy of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.

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Bids get started during a live auction in the Gateway auditorium at Haystack campus, 2023. Image courtesy of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.

Public Programs-3.JPG
Haystack staff lead visitors on a campus tour, photo by Dan Rajter, 2024. Image courtesy of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.

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The Haystack campus opens to the public for the annual Open House, photo by Nikolai Fox, 2025. Image courtesy of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.

Public Programs-5.JPG
Visitors enjoy the Graphics studio display during an End-of-Session Walk-Through, 2025. Image courtesy of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.

About Haystack Mountain School of Crafts | haystack-mtn.org
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is an international craft school located on the Atlantic Ocean in Deer Isle, Maine. For 75 years, Haystack has connected people through craft, providing the freedom to engage with materials and develop new ideas in a supportive and inclusive community. When Haystack was founded in 1950, it was truly an experiment in education and community, with no permanent faculty or full-time students-a School that awarded no certificates or degrees. Haystack serves an ever-changing group of makers and thinkers of all skill levels-we are dedicated to working and learning alongside one another, while exploring the intersections of craft, art, and design in wide-ranging and expansive ways.

For three-quarters of a century, Haystack has offered intensive studio workshops and has functioned as a think-tank to explore craft in broad contexts. The School's award-winning campus, designed by noted American architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, opened in 1961 when the School relocated to Deer Isle from its original location in Montville, Maine. The buildings and secluded, natural setting have provided steadfast support for convening an intergenerational community of makers from around the world to share ideas, materials, and techniques, and make discoveries alongside one another in a creative and generative environment. While Haystack has grown in ways that could never have been imagined-offering residencies, programs for Maine youth and adults, conferences, publications, and more-the core of our work and the ideas we adhere to have stayed very much the same.

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