Welcome to MCA’s Weekend Workshop at Haystack!
This page is for weekend participants who have registered and received confirmation of their placement in one of our seven workshops.
You will be able to refer to this page for all the necessary details, materials list, forms to fill out, and more!
Questions? Contact Simonne@MaineCrafts.Org
DUE MAY 1!
WORKSHOP MATERIALS LISTS
BLACKSMITHING – Forge Welding with Jennifer Petrila
Materials List + Fees:
A $55 studio fee will be added to your invoice.
Participants in this workshop will need to bring the following materials:
- A sketchbook and drawing tools
- Natural fiber clothing and closed-toe shoes
- Ear plugs
CERAMICS – Soda Firing – with Tyler Gulden
Materials + Fees:
Participants in this workshop will have two options to select from for the studio materials fee. MCA staff will contact registered participants after the registration date to confirm their selection. You will receive two invoices, one for materials at a later date and one for tuition and accommodations.
Materials List + Fees Option #1: $40.00
– Approximately 1.5 cuft of bisque fired cone 10 suitable stoneware and/or porcelain pots (think three clay boxes worth of work, without packing material).
– Additional clay for the workshop. When choosing this option students will also be responsible for the purchase and transport of their own 25 – 50 lbs box of clay and are responsible for removing any leftover clay at the end of the workshop. The $40 fee covers the studio lab fee and other materials supplied by the instructor.
Participants are expected to bring:
– Your favorite throwing tools
– A hand towel
– An apron
– Packaging to transport your work
Please bring the following if you have them:
Materials List + Fees Option #2: $65.00
– Approximately 1.5 cuft of bisque fired cone 10 suitable stoneware and/or porcelain pots (think three clay boxes worth of work, without packing material).
– Students will be supplied with one 25 lbs bag of Laguna B Mix. MCA will take care of the transport to the Haystack Campus. Participants should plan on removing any extra clay and or scraps at the end of the workshop. The $65 fee covers the studio lab fee, other materials supplied by the instructor, and the bag of B Mix 10 Clay.
Participants are expected to bring:
– Your favorite throwing tools
– A hand towel
– An apron
– Packaging to transport your work
Please bring the following if you have them:
FIBER – Dye to Label with Jordan Carey
Materials + Fees:
The instructor will provide all essential materials for each student that will be covered by the $55 studio materials fee. Students are asked to bring the following items:
- Students are encouraged to bring their sewing machines. If you have a machine at home that you are comfortable with and prefer to use over a studio machine, bring it!
- Fabric and Paper Scissors
- Threads
- Large eye sharp needles
- Pins
- Rulers
- Sketchbook and drawing tools
PRINTMAKING – Hybrid Prints: Exploring Collagraphy & Xerox Lithography with Elizabeth Jebar
Materials List + Fees:
A $50 materials fee will be added to your invoice.
Participants in this workshop will need to bring the following materials:
Textured Materials For Collagraph Platemaking: (Plenty Of Options With The Following Basics!)
● Chipboard or mat board: can be incised, lifting off the top layer (don’t cut too deep). For a rough edge, nick the surface and pull off a layer.
● Assorted papers: Tissue, crepe paper, Japanese paper. Paper can be ripped, cut, scrunched, glued, or pressed into materials like gesso.
● Assorted fabrics: Lace, cotton, canvas, or any textured fabric or wallpaper can be glued to the surface or used as a plate surface.
● Natural elements and fibers: Other interesting materials can be string, thread, aluminum foil, leaves, masking tape, parcel tape.
Optional Additional Materials For Platemaking: (Instructor Will Have A Few Things For Folks To Try)
● Paint & mediums: Acrylic paints and acrylic textures. Different brush strokes will create a variation of texture. Also palette knives and sponges can be used.
● Texture paste, tile grout, etc hold the marks of brushes or palette knives, etc very well. You can also press things like leaves or grasses or fabric into them. Experiment by either leaving them there or lifting them to see what kind of impression is left behind. I find texture paste is really good for this. There are cheaper alternatives but they all have their own characteristics and therefore you will get some variation in the way things print.
For Xerox Lithography:
● Black & white laser copies of images you want to print and make multiple copies of your images. There will be a laser copier in the studio but bring originals we can copy.
● Use high contrast imagery without a large range of grey. The process does not yield high quality continuous tone photo prints. The results are painterly and there will be image loss and “noise” in the print.
● Center your image on the paper. You will need white space around the image to ink the plate. Stick with 8.5 x 11 paper.
For Printing:
There are brayers & ink knives we can share but bring your own if you have them!
● Printmaking papers (rag papers & Japanese paper, other assorted papers to experiment with)
● Cotton fabrics-optional! (muslin is a good inexpensive choice if you want to experiment with printing on fabric)
● Inks: oil based etching and/or relief inks-especially if you want to utilize unique colors and establish your own palette. Bring what you have or purchase small tubes. Black ink is provided.
● Brayers: some supplied but bring additional if you have them
● Ink knives: some supplied but bring additional if you have them
● Basic drawing tools & brushes (student grade and/or craft brushes are fine!)
● Sketchbook or drawing pad
● Xacto knife
● Scissors
● Gloves
● Optional: Any tools, plates, material for Monotype if you already work in this technique.
METALS – Planar Constructions: Exploration In Surface and Volume with Kyle Patnaude
Materials List + Fees:
The instructor will provide and sell materials to students during the workshop. Participants will need to pay the instructor for materials used and should estimate a cost of $40 – $60.
Students should bring a sketchbook and drawing tools, and your favorite metalsmithing tools (if you have them!). Remember to label your tools before you arrive on campus.
VA STUDIO – Sculptural Needle Felting with Erlynne Kitagawa
Materials List + Fees:
Participants in this workshop will be provided with basic materials for the $25 fee paid at the time of registration. Students can purchase additional wool directly from the instructor during the weekend.
Instructor Provided Materials:
- Wool
- Felting Needles
- Armature Wire
- Embroidery Floss
- Felting Matt (if students do not provide their own).
Students Should Bring The Following Items:
- Sketchbook and Drawing Tools
- Scissors
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Large Eye Needles
Students are encouraged to bring the following items if they already own them:
- Your Favorite Felting Matt (foam with felt sheet)
- Felting Needles you already love!
- Additional Wool
WOOD – Carving Impractical with Danielle Rose Byrd
Materials List + Fees: $60
Student Supplied Materials List:
Please bring any tools from home you feel may elicit your best creative self – saws, handplanes, weird texture-makers, hand drills, favorite measuring, layout or marking tools, rasps, drawknives etc. Bring a dust mask as well!
You’re welcome to bring your own carving gouges – a range of shapes and sizes may be fun for you to have on hand.
PLEASE LABEL YOUR TOOLS BEFORE CLASS
Haystack Supplied Studio Tools:
Haystack Wood Studio has a number of tools available for each student that will be useful for this class:
- Block plane
- Spokeshave
- Carving knife
- Robin wood carving axe
- Set of bench chisels
- Mallet
- Hearing protection
- Safety glasses
Feel free to bring along your own preferred items from the list above.
Haystack also has a list of their wood studio tools on their website. Please refer to this to see what sizes of carving gouges they have available.
We will likely be using other assorted tools in the studio depending on what your designs warrant.
Instructor Supplied Materials List:
A small sharpening kit for each student to practice dry sharpening (no lubricant like oil or water) with abrasive papers. We will not have time to address large chips are damage to tool edges. If you’d like to bring them to ask questions, please do.
Optional Student Materials List:
If you’d like to purchase some gouges before the class, Pfeil/Swiss Made are my go-to for availability, price point, and quality. Something in the range of #5 or #7 (this refers to the sweep or curve of the tool edge), and 14-20mm (diameter of the tool edge) is a good place to start. Straight gouges are useful for convex shaping and some shallow concave spots. Long bent gouges are bent along their length and are useful for gradual concave shapes but have a harder time with scooping. Haystack has a limited number of these, so bring these if you have them. The studio has a selection of spoon gouges as well, which are curved at the end of the tool and better at concentrated scooping than long, gradual concave cuts. For funkier shapes, dog leg/swan neck gouges, twca cam, and v-chisels are good examples of what may work. With the exception of the v-chisels, these will not be available through Pfeil, but can be sourced from a variety of makers.
PLEASE LABEL YOUR TOOLS BEFORE CLASS
WEEKEND ITINERARY
ARRIVAL / CHECK IN
MCA staff will be waiting for you to check in outside of the Gateway Building.
There are no early arrivals permitted but please arrive no later than 11:45 am on Thursday. You will need time to check in, receive your cabin number, bring your belongings to your accommodations and park your vehicles. At this time please also drop off your labeled exhibition items with MCA staff.
You may temporarily park vehicles in the lower lot to unload quickly but will need to move your vehicle to the parking lot for others to follow.
DEPARTURE / CHECK OUT
All participants are required to check out when departing on Sunday at 1:00 pm outside the Gateway Building.
HAYSTACK STORE HOURS
Thursday – 9 AM – 4 PM | Closed for lunch 12 – 1
Friday – 9 AM – 4 PM | Closed for lunch 12 – 1
Saturday – Closed
Sunday – 11 AM – 1 PM
THURSDAY
10:00 am – 11:45 pm: Arrival/Check-in
Upon arrival, all participants are required to check in with MCA staff outside the Gateway Building.
Plan to have time to check in and drop your belongings in your cabins before lunch begins.
Please drop off your labeled exhibition items during this time.
Noon:
Welcome lunch and weekend announcements from MCA & Haystack teams.
1:00 pm:
Workshops begin
5:30 pm:
Casual meet & greet on the top deck or around the fire
6:00 pm:
Welcome dinner
7:00 pm:
Faculty Slide Presentations in Gateway
FRIDAY
6:45 am – 7:45 am:
Yoga with Becky Wright (optional – see before/after hours programming section)
8:00 am:
Breakfast
8:30 am – 5:00 pm: Workshops (Lunch at Noon)
6:00 pm:
Dinner
7:00 pm:
Gateway Instructor/ Student Exhibition & Sale – (see Gateway Exhibition section)
SATURDAY
8:00 am:
Breakfast
8:30 am – 6:00 pm: Workshops (Lunch at Noon)
6:00 pm:
Dinner
After hours:
Music night in the Dining Hall
This fun MCA tradition is for those who want to join together to play music, sing, and enjoy another type of craft. BYO instruments and equipment. (see before/after hours programming section).
SUNDAY
8:00 am:
Breakfast
8:30 am – 8:45 am: Remove personal belongings from cabins
Your belongings must be removed from your cabins for housekeeping. You may choose to either pack your vehicles early or leave your items outside of your cabin door.
8:45 am – 11:00 am:
Workshops
11:00 am – Noon pm:
Studio walkthrough
Noon: Lunch
1:00 pm: Check-out & Departure
All participants are required to check out with MCA staff outside of the Gateway Building.
BEFORE/AFTER HOURS PROGRAMMING
INSTRUCTOR SLIDE SHOW PRESENTATIONS – Thursday, May 9 | 7:00 PM | Gateway Building
Please join us in learning about our wonderful instructors and their careers in these fun, get-to-know-you style presentations.
YOGA WITH BECKY WRIGHT – Friday, May 10 6:45 – 7:45 AM | Gateway Building
Join Becky Wright, potter and yoga teacher, for an hour of mindful and thoughtful breath and movement designed for creatives. Let’s wake up and take care of our hands, bodies, hearts and minds for the rest of our time at Haystack together! All levels welcome, especially those of you that feel you are not flexible; you need it the most!
Please bring: exercise mat, clothes that you can move in.
GATEWAY EXHIBITION – Friday, May 10 | 7:00 PM | Gateway Building
(please see the section below)
MUSIC NIGHT – Saturday, May 11 | 7 – ? | Dining Hall
This fun MCA tradition is for those who want to join together to play music, sing, and enjoy another type of craft. BYO instruments, lyrics, and equipment.
GATEWAY INSTRUCTOR/STUDENT EXHIBITION & SALE
FRIDAY, MAY 10 | 7:00 PM
The Gateway Instructor / Student Exhibition & Sale is held annually in the Haystack campus Gateway Building. Workshop instructors and weekend participants are invited to contribute 1 – 3 pieces of artwork to the exhibition, but it is not a requirement for workshop participants.
Each of your items should be priced accordingly with a built in 50/50 split. You may choose to donate 50% or 100% of sales. Funds from the exhibition support this program and the Bliss Fund.
All work that is contributed to the show, must be installation-ready and labeled when dropped off with MCA staff at Haystack during check-in.
Submissions are due May 1.
PACKING LIST
In addition to your normal personal overnight items.
- Every bed in every cabin receives a pillow. You will need to provide your own sleeping bag (suggested option) / twin sheets / pillowcase / extra pillow / blankets / electric blanket etc.
- The materials listed on your workshop syllabus/course materials list.
- Personal use towel(s) and/or bath mat
- Bug spray / SPF / tick repellent
- Clothing and layers for all types of weather including rain gear (maybe even a swimsuit).
- Appropriate shoes (for your workshop, lots of stairs, and after-hours programming).
- Headphones / headset (optional).
- Flashlight (or cell phone light).
- Special or necessary dietary food/drinks (you may use the student fridge).
- Instrument or lyrics for music night (optional).
- Travel mug / water bottle / hand towels (please consider bringing these items to cut down on disposable use items on campus).
- Yoga mat and exercise clothes if you wish to participate in Friday morning yoga.
CAMPUS, CABINS + STUDIOS
CAMPUS
Built on a cliff overlooking Jericho Bay in the Atlantic Ocean, the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts has served as a muse to many who have come to create. Located on Stinson Neck in Deer Isle, Maine, the award-winning campus, designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in February 2006. For more information about the campus and photos, visit Haystack’s website.
CABINS + STUDIOS
Haystack studios and accommodations are roomy and light-filled, and unheated. All accommodations are shared – there are two-person cabins with and without bathrooms, three-person cabins without bathrooms, and two dorms. Generally one of the two dorms is all genders, and the other is reserved for women. For dorms and all cabins without baths, there are bathrooms one flight of stairs up or down. The registration form allows for roommate requests, which we do our best to honor! Studios are open 24 hours for work. There is no Wifi in the studios or cabins.
Reminder – Pack for all types of weather (cold, rain, sun) and bring your own bedding (see packing list). The campus has many stairs, so remember to bring good walking shoes.
HAYSTACK COMMUNITY GUIDELINES
Haystack’s community guidelines are one of the ways we put our organizational values, and the goals of our Strategic Plan, into action. They are intended to establish a shared understanding of our common goals, how we create community, and the principles that ensure all people feel welcome and respected. It is expected that everyone coming to Haystack will help contribute to a culture in which all members feel personally safe, listened to, valued, and treated with fairness and respect.
Remember our mission and goal
Our shared goal at Haystack is to connect people through craft. We believe in creating an environment that supports the exploration of new ideas in a supportive and inclusive community. Serving an ever-changing group of makers and thinkers, we are dedicated to working and learning alongside one another, while exploring the intersections of craft, art, and design in broad and expansive ways.
Creating a sense of belonging
Haystack is committed to fostering a welcoming environment that honors the safety, health, mutual respect, and well-being of everyone at the School. If someone is asking you for support, do your best to help them find a solution or direct them to someone on staff who can help.
Studio Culture
Being in the studio is central to the Haystack experience. Be respectful of shared space and follow safety guidelines at all times. No one is permitted in the studio if under the influence of alcohol or drugs, except the legal use of prescribed medication that does not impair the safe use of Haystack resources. When participating in group discussions please listen to others and consider multiple perspectives. Avoid dominating group discussions and make space for other people. Challenge your preconceptions and try to be open to new approaches.
Honor Everyone’s Boundaries
Care for yourself and communicate your needs while also respecting other people’s boundaries. Please ask for consent before making physical contact or using someone else’s belongings. Always ask permission before photographing or posting about someone or their work. We believe in taking responsibility for our actions, learning from our mistakes, and moving forward.
Make no assumptions
Haystack celebrates a community built on broad views and backgrounds. We avoid making assumptions about people’s gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, ability, or anything else related to their identity or lived experiences. Individuals identify in many different ways that may not be externally explicit. For example, we ask that members of our community avoid making assumptions on individuals’ gender. If an individual feels comfortable, we encourage sharing of pronouns and we ask in all cases that others show respect to those preferences.
Inappropriate conduct
Haystack does not tolerate discrimination or harassment, whether directed at an employee, program participant, faculty, or other members of the Haystack community. We ask you to be conscientious about your words and behavior. Harassing or discriminatory conduct—whether intentional or not—based on an individual’s sex, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, familial status, disability, or any other categories protected by law are unacceptable on Haystack’s campus and will be addressed. Our top priority is making sure everyone feels respected and able to participate. If Haystack determines that a harmful incident has occurred, we may first seek a solution through conversation and possible accommodations based on the willingness of those involved. We expect all individuals to uphold the Community Guidelines, and Haystack may be obligated to investigate and take action against an offending individual, up to removing individuals from campus, if their actions fail to respect these guidelines or devalue the teaching and learning experience for the larger community.