Pace House Residency
Stonington, Maine
In 2007, American Artist Stephen Pace bequeathed his summer home in Stonington for use by Maine College of Art as a residency and gallery, to ensure its continued use as an artistic haven.
Stephen was born in 1918 in Missouri and studied at the Art Students League in New York and the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris. He settled in New York and became an acclaimed artist known for his Abstract Expressionist work. In later years he devoted himself to more representational paintings and drawings. Stephen and his wife, Palmina, bought the Stonington house, a turn-of-the-century sea captain’s residence set on a ledge overlooking the Penobscot Bay, in 1943. They summered there for sixty-four years, until their relocation to Indiana.
Stonington is a charming fishing village that retains the old-fashioned flavor of New England life. Lobstering is the mainstay of the economy. The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is located nearby and many artists and artisans have galleries, studios and workshops dotted throughout the island, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge.
The gallery at the Stephen Pace house is open to the public on Wednesday evenings from 5:00-7:00pm and Saturdays from 10:00am-2:00pm when artists are in residence. Residency season runs from June through September. Visitors are welcome to tour the first floor of the house and the studio to view the Stephen Pace paintings.
Image credit: The Shepard House, 1972, by Stephen Pace.
Location
90 Indian Point Road
Stonington, ME
Season
Residencies are available from June 6 through September 30.
Statistics
Residency Length: two to four weeks
Number of residencies: three to five per season
Open to individuals, families, or small groups
Eligibility
Open to MECA alumni, faculty, and staff members
Disciplines: visual artists, writers, scholars
Collaboration: If more than one person is applying for the residency, please submit a separate form for each person and indicate the lead contact person for the group. Groups must submit all application materials together in one packet. At least one group member must be a faculty member, staff member or an alumna/us. Degree-holding alumni are given priority consideration over non-degree holding alumni. Preference for one of the two residencies will be given to painters, in accordance with Stephen Pace’s bequest.
Studio and Special Equipment
Large studio space available in barn. Pleasant back yard lawn and small vegetable gardens. A woodland meadow is accessible through a pathway from the back yard. A scenic lily pond and the main village are within easy walking distance.
Housing
House can sleep up to ten people. There are four bedrooms and a living room. There is also a washer and dryer. A caretaker is located nearby.
Meals
Residents purchase and prepare their own meals. A variety store is located in the village and a larger supermarket is located in Deer Isle. House kitchen includes gas stove, refrigerator, microwave, dishes and cookware.
Phone/Computer/ Internet Access
House has no telephone or Internet access. Limited cell phone coverage. WiFi available at Stonington Library and Deer Isle Library.
Costs
There is no fee to attend this residency.
Companions
Spouses, partners and children welcome for full stay.
Other Facilities and Services
Many art materials are not generally accessible in the area, so it is best to bring the supplies that you will need. The store at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts carries many art supplies, but is open during limited hours.
Gallery Hours
Artists-in-residence are required to open the house to the neighboring community and visitors two days a week, as part of Stephen Pace’s bequest. During this time they must remain on the property and oversee visitors. Gallery hours are Wednesday evenings from 5:00-7:00pm and Saturdays from 10:00am-2:00pm.
Deadlines
Proposals are reviewed once a year in March.
Applications must be received by 5:00pm on March 16, 2012. Late and incomplete proposals will not be accepted. Notification of awards will be made in April. This year, the application process has moved to an online application form.
Review Process
A review committee comprised of the Alumni Relations Coordinator, one Alumni Council member, the Vice President for Advancement, the VP of Academic Affairs/Dean of the College and one member of the MECA community will award the residencies. Proposals will be reviewed on a competitive basis. Priority consideration is given to degree-holding BFA and MFA alumni who are painters. Residencies will be determined based on the quality of work submitted, evidence that the applicant's career will benefit from the residency, that the nature and scope of proposed projects fit within the space and time limitations of the residency and that the applicant is able to work independently and responsibly.
For more information:
Jill Dalton ’99
Alumni Relations Coordinator
207.699.5018
alums@MECA.edu
2011
Richard Abbott '78 www.homeandgardenornament.com
Hannah Barnes '02 www.hannahbarnesart.com
Marguerite Lawler www.margueritelawler.com
Erin Sweeney '94 www.erinsweeney.net
Mary Linnea Vaughan MFA '00 www.maryvaughan.com
2010
Matt Burnett MFA '06 www.mattburnettpaintings.com
Quinlan Corey MFA '06 www.quintronix.org and Linsey Wallace '08 linseywallace.wordpress.com
Anne Garland '93 www.annegarlandart.com
Brett Walker '06 www.everybodydoesntlikebrettwalker.com