About

Monson Arts is a new artists' residency and arts center in Monson, Maine. The goal of the residency program is to provide time and space for artists and writers to devote to their creative practices. Residencies are four weeks long and come with ample studio space, a private bedroom in shared housing, all meals and a stipend of $1,000. Located at the edge of Maine's North Woods near the Appalachian Trail, the town is surrounded by areas of stunning natural beauty. The first pilot residencies were held June-August of 2018. Applications are now being accepted for residencies in February, March, and April 2019. The deadline to apply is October 31, 2018. Visit monsonarts.org for more information and to sign up for updates by email.

Local Information

Monson is located at the edge of Maine’s North Woods- a 3.5 million acre area of forest bordering Canada. It is the last town on the Appalachian Trail before the beginning of the 100-Mile Wilderness that leads to Mount Katahdin. Since it was founded in 1822, the community has had an economy based on natural resources. In the late 19th through the early 20th centuries, slate quarries supported a thriving industry. Moosehead Manufacturing produced wood furniture from the 1945 until its closure in 2007. The region also has a rich arts tradition— ranging from Henry David Thoreau, who wrote about the area in The Maine Woods to photographer Berenice Abbott who lived in nearby Blanchard, to traditional makers such as the North Woods Canoe Company in Atkinson. In the spring of 2017 Maine’s Libra Foundation began investing in the development of an arts program for Monson as a way to spur economic and creative growth in the region.

Network Affiliations

• Alliance of Artist Communities