New York NY 10011
United States
Skowhegan is a summer art school in Maine founded in 1946 by artists, with an open, experimental approach to learning. We share knowledge outside traditional academic frameworks. As a non-degree program, participants, faculty, and staff live and work together, building trust through daily communal life.
We understand Skowhegan as a rehearsal space, where there is no necessity for a final outcome but rather an ongoing state of process. The program unfolds through studio visits, workshops, conversations, reading groups, lectures, and seminars. Each year, participants, staff, and faculty collectively shape the curriculum, guided by shared interests and the freedom to manage their own time—an openness that demands care, responsibility, and commitment.
The School is envisioned as a continuous work-in-progress environment, which prioritizes process and exchange: each individual’s practice influences the collective experience and deepens discourse around what “making” means to artists.
Faculty
Each summer, we invite ten renowned artists to serve as resident and visiting faculty, creating a space for conversation and intergenerational exchange. The faculty reflects a range of practices and pedagogical approaches, encouraging both communal and collaborative work while also providing guidance and mentorship to individual practices.
Campus
Skowhegan’s rural campus is surrounded by farmlands, forests, wetlands, and lakeshores, an environment integral to the School’s pedagogical framework.
Our facilities support multidisciplinary practices, and residences are modest, communal lakeside cottages. Participants have access to studios and workspaces 24 hours a day, allowing for sustained engagement with their work.
At Skowhegan, we live as a community while supporting individual needs. Participants are provided lodging, daily meals, and access to studios and shared spaces across a 350-acre campus with more than 80 buildings, including a library; fabrication shops (metal, wood, ceramics); a fresco studio; media lab for sound and video; a flex space dedicated to performative, chorographic and sound-based activities; dining hall; and areas for gathering and daily life.
Eligibility
Artists working across all disciplines are welcome to apply. Skowhegan is particularly interested in emerging artists—both US-based and international—with an active practice. Experimentation, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to engage with others are central.
Application process
Our application is based on work developed to date and is designed to support artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. Applicants are asked to submit:
–Ten images or up to six min of video/audio work
–Brief explanations of the works to provide context
–A short video narrative describing their interests as artists
We do not require a CV, recommendation letters, or a specific project proposal.
Does Skowhegan provide financial assistance
Yes, financial assistance is available. We do not consider financial circumstances during application review, and we have scholarship funds to distribute among accepted artists. Our priority is that the School is accessible to any interested artist who is accepted, and we will work with you to ensure funds are available.
International artists are responsible for obtaining visas, and we provide a letter of acceptance upon request. We also provide help with travel expenses for international participants.
Applications will be accepted between Tuesday, September 1 and Friday, October 16, 2026 (11:59pm ET). There is an application fee of 25 USD, which increases to 50 USD for the final two days of the application period. We encourage you to apply early. Applicants will be notified in December regarding interviews, with final decisions in January.
For more information and full application details, please visit here. For inquiries, email: help@skowheganart.org.
