The Color Network Mentorship Residency

Prerequisites:

• Artists must be comfortable working independently in a clay studio. Formal instruction is not provided.
• Artists must have signed up for The Color Network’s Mentorship program (as
  either a mentor or mentee) by the time their residency application is submitted.
• Artists that have yet to be paired with a mentor/mentee are eligible.

Applicants may apply individually or as mentor-mentee pairs and will be prioritized as follows:

• Mentor-mentee pairs, individual mentors, individual mentees. Priority will be given to applicants who have not attended a prior TCN + Watershed residency.
• 11 applicants will be accepted.
• 2025 application deadline TBD. 

Artists live in simple, modern cabins in single-occupancy bedrooms with shared bathrooms (much like a bathroom in a home). Cabins are furnished with twin beds, armoires, radiant floor heat and fans, but aren’t air conditioned. Located rurally near Wiscasset, ME (population 3,700), Watershed’s 54-acre campus is nestled in a valley with organic farms, rolling hillsides, and trails leading through the woods. Artists often enjoy crossing paths with sheep, cows, or pigs on their walk down the winding gravel road to the Windgate Studio.

• Application Fee: None
• Residency Fees: None, Grant Covered
• Meal & Lodging Fees: None, Grant Covered
• Kiln Firing Fees: None, Watershed Covered
• Travel: reimbursement up to $500 for travel with receipts (may include mileage & tolls, hotel accommodations, and flights)
• Materials: 50 lbs of clay & house-stock dry glaze materials are provided by Watershed at no cost.  Materials beyond that allotment may be purchased from Portland Pottery. W
• Shipping: Artists will pay for and coordinate shipping on their own.
• Artists bring their own basic tools.  

MEALS

During the Residency, meals are prepared and served Sunday through Friday in the Commons building. Saturdays is the day off for kitchen staff; artists will enjoy self-serve meals, leftovers, or may check out local restaurants off campus for dinner (experiencing Maine seafood is usually quite popular!) Artists have 24/7 access to a shared refrigerator, coffee, tea, and snacks. 

The kitchen can accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free diets. Abundant salads and non-meat protein sources are made available as well. Artists with additional dietary needs are welcome to store supplemental food in the resident fridge and the pantry. Applicants with questions about dietary needs can contact us to discuss their specific situation.

STUDIO

Watershed’s state-of-the-art, fully accessible Windgate Studio is tucked into a wooded dale that is accessed via a sloping gravel road from the cabins. The studio, spread over a single story with polished concrete floors and an open plan, accommodates and encourages all manner and scale of ceramic production while fostering interaction and communication between artists.

Resident artists have access to the studio 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is equipped with slab rollers, pottery wheels, an extruder, clay mixers, sturdy canvas-covered work tables, and plentiful shelving. Generous banks of windows provide both natural light and views of the surrounding woods. All work spaces have access to electrical outlets and the building is internet friendly.

A large glaze room provides ample, clean, organized, and ventilated work space and features a floor-to-ceiling spray booth with water-curtain filtration. Work may be rolled directly from the `studio’s glaze area to the exterior Kiln Pad by a covered breezeway.

Also located in the studio building are a dedicated plaster room, clay mixing area, galley kitchenette, and a seating area. Just across the dooryard at the Studio Annex is a wood and metal shop available for use by permission.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Watershed prioritizes the health of all members of our community. Please refer to our Health & Safety Guidelines for additional up-to-date information.

ACCESSIBILITY

Watershed’s campus is located on uneven terrain that includes fields, forests, paths, and gravel roads. The Windgate Studio, the Commons residential life building, and one bedroom with adjoining bath are fully accessible, with accessible parking available. The studio is located approximately one-quarter mile away from the Commons and cabins on a sloped, gravel road and participants must navigate levels and unmodified, natural paths to reach most cabins.

Watershed will make every effort to provide appropriate housing and program access to people with known disabilities to the degree possible without posing an undue hardship for the organization. People with disabilities are responsible for contacting Watershed to request appropriate accommodations and help Watershed assess how to best support them. Please contact us to discuss any accessibility questions or needs, including accommodations for registered service animals. We are unable to host therapy pets or companion animals.

MATERIALS

Watershed’s glaze room is well stocked with dry materials and equipment for mixing slips and glazes. For a full list of stocked materials and prices, please see the Residency General Information page. 

Additionally, our clay-mixing area is equipped for mixing white or iron-rich clays and is stocked with standard, commercially mined ingredients. We suggest that resident artists who anticipate making large batches of clay or glazes contact us prior to arrival to ensure sufficient quantities of material will be available.

FIRING

Firing facilities include a wide range of electric, gas, and wood kilns. Resident artists load and fire their own kilns during a residency. Studio staff are available to answer questions and provide support but they do not fire work for artists. Please note that wood kilns require advanced planning with studio staff, as well as considerable knowledge, time, and labor to fire.  

For a full list of kiln types and sizes please see the Residency General Information page. 

SHIPPING

Materials and supplies may be shipped to Watershed ahead of your arrival date. Please ship all items “YOUR NAME c/o: Watershed, 19 Brick Hill Rd, Newcastle, ME 04553”.

Artists who are unable to take their work home with them must make their own shipping arrangements. The Watershed staff does not pack or ship work.

LOCATION

Watershed’s campus is located in a rural area, approximately 1.5 miles northeast of Wiscasset (population 3,700). Midcoast Maine does not have a public transportation system. We encourage artists who live within driving distance to travel to Watershed in their own vehicle, if possible. While artists are provided everything they need to function on campus during their session, many artists find it helpful to be able to venture off campus. While cabs and shuttle services exist for transport from the airport, train station, and bus station,  arranging local cab rides may be expensive.

Main Campus address:  19 Brick Hill Rd., Newcastle, ME.

GUESTS

Watershed’s main campus is closed to guests and visitors except during special events.

ANIMALS & PETS

Artists with registered service animals should contact us in advance of applying to make sure we can provide proper support and accommodations for them and their service animal. Watershed does not allow residents to have pets and does not accommodate therapy and/or companion animals.

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR

Watershed reserves the right to dismiss any program participant, without refund, for behavior that is unsafe or disruptive to the community. The use of illegal drugs while at Watershed is prohibited. Watershed may refuse admission to program participants with a history of unacceptable behavior.

If a participating artist is routinely and/or knowingly not complying with Watershed’s policies or  Health and Safety Guidelines, the organization reserves the right to terminate their stay without refund. 

PHONE AND INTERNET

Strong wireless internet connection is available in the Commons and Windgate Studio.  Some weaker signal exists in the residential cabins. Cell service on campus varies by provider. Watershed’s office at 103 Cochran Road has a landline phone which may be used by residents during office hours with permission. 

WHAT TO BRING

• N95/KN95/KF94 equivalent face mask
• Twin-size sheet set, pillowcase, and blankets
• Towel and toiletries (e.g. soap, shampoo)
• Insect repellent and sunscreen!
• Sturdy, closed-toe shoes for walking the gravel road (i.e. sneakers or boots)
• Flashlight and/or headlamp! (No streetlights = walking in pitch black darkness at night.)
• Clothing for ALL weather (Maine can be hot AND cold, humid, windy, rainy – all in the same day!)
• Umbrella and/or raincoat

• Bathing suit

• Digital images of your work
• Reusable water bottle
• Technology: headphones, laptop, chargers, etc
• Respirator, safety glasses, work gloves 
• Clay and studio tools

PERSONAL PROPERTY

Watershed is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Please speak with staff if you have valuables that you would like to keep in a secure place. 

LOCAL FACILITIES

Wiscasset and Damariscotta are both a ~10 minute drive where artists can find a variety of businesses, including a hardware store, lumber yard, discount department store, grocery store, restaurants, post office, shipping supply store, etc.