Three Maine artists have won the right to walk in the footsteps of Robert Henri, Edward Hopper and Rockwell Kent.
Coreena Affleck of Yarmouth, Justin Richel of Rangeley and Nathaniel Meyer of South Portland have been selected as the 2015 recipients of the Monhegan Artists’ Residency. Affleck and Richel will spend five weeks on Monhegan, and Meyer was awarded a two-week residency for Maine K-12 art teachers.
A dozen miles off midcoast Maine, Monhegan has attracted artists since the mid-1900s. It remains a destination for artists, but the high cost of housing makes it unaffordable for many beyond day trips and overnight visits. The residency allows artists to work on Monhegan for extended periods.
The jurors were Bruce Brown, a collector and former curator at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art; artist Lauren Fensterstock; and Laurie Perzley, fine art director and curator at Thos. Moser Gallery and a residency board member.
They selected a multimedia artist in Affleck, a painter, printmaker and ceramicist in Richel, and a painter in Meyer.
The residency provides artists with time and space to work free of interruption and constraint.
“During the jurying process, we had a lively discussion about art, the possibilities of an artists’ retreat, and the impact of visiting artists in communities,” Fensterstock said in a statement. “Monhegan’s rich history as an artist retreat inspires both a reverence for legacies past and an ongoing framework for innovation.”
Since its founding in 1989, the organization has sponsored more than 50 artists.
Visit monheganartistsresidency.org for information.
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