The Skowhegan campus sits on approximately 350-acres of farmland, forest, and lakefront, and its buildings and grounds are imbued with a deep sense of history of the generations of artists who have lived and worked at the site. Though the physical setting has evolved since 1946, Skowhegan has retained a rural simplicity rooted in its farm history and family history: the Cummings’ property, converted by Willard “Bill” Cummings, Sidney Simon, Henry Varnum Poor, and Charles Cutler as the location for their summer art school.

Today, the simplicity of Skowhegan’s landscape, the protective nature of the woods that surround the campus, and the history of the buildings may be even more important to the artists Skowhegan serves than they were in 1946. The location has emerged as a critical counterbalance to the traditional structures of schools and student-teacher relationships. The communal nature of the studios allows for cross-pollination between artists with different practices, experience, and ideas. And the relatively stark and minimalist nature of the buildings inspire an ingenuity and responsiveness that is foundational to the program.

The central component was a Master Plan, led by architect Neil Kittredge, Beyer Blinder Belle, that was informed by extensive input from staff, alumni, faculty, Trustees, and Governors through an extensive planning process. This included numerous interviews, a campus retreat to articulate priorities, and five workshops with alumni and faculty focused on the key themes of: Community Experience; Campus Experience; Residential Experience; Flex Space; and Red Farm.

The final document laid out the renovations, new projects, and infrastructure requirements necessary for Skowhegan to maintain its programmatic excellence, as well as the relative cost, time frame, and location of each project.