SUMMER WORKSHOPS
Haystack’s summer workshops explore the intersections of craft, art, and design in broad and expansive ways. Nearly all of our workshops are designed for all levels of experience, and regardless of your background there is a place for you here.
HOW TO APPLY
General Application
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older to participate in session workshops. Except where noted in the workshop descriptions, workshops are open to all levels—from beginners to advanced. Enrollment in each studio is limited. Applications are reviewed competitively and selections are made to provide:
a balance between first-time and past participants
a broad geographical distribution of participants
a wide range of participants from varied backgrounds and skill levels—from beginners to advanced professionals—who have a clear sense of purpose as to why they want to take the workshop/s they have selected.
Application is for an entire one-week or two-week session. When completing the application form, please indicate your choice of workshop. Due to the high volume of applications, not all applicants will be accepted. All applicants who are not accepted will be the first to be notified of any available workshops after March 3, 2025.
Summer workshops are open to all skill levels, from beginners to advanced professionals, unless otherwise noted in the workshop description.
GENERAL APPLICATION
Application Opens January 7, 2025
General Application Deadline
January 31, 2025
Before applying, we encourage applicants to review our Fees & Policies and Frequently Asked Questions.
Fellowships
The Haystack Fellowship program of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is intended to support individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and ways of approaching craft. The fellowship program supports individuals who self-identify as benefiting from financial support by eliminating some of the financial barriers to participation in session workshops by covering tuition, room, and board costs, and providing a monetary award.
Recognizing barriers and implicit bias faced by contemporary craftspeople, individuals who are looking to take a risk in their practice, develop as an artist, are at a critical moment in their career, or identify as BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ are encouraged to apply.
Fellowship recipients are responsible for travel costs, shop fees, and studio materials. Award recipients must be 18 years of age or older. Haystack assembles independent committees to select Haystack Fellowship recipients through a competitive review process.
Please Note: Fellowship awards are not available for glass workshops.
FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION
Application Opens January 7, 2025
Fellowship Application Deadline
January 17, 2025
Before applying, we encourage applicants to review our Fees & Policies and Frequently Asked Questions.
Studio Assistant Fellows
Studio Assistant Fellows (SAs) must be familiar with the equipment, processes, and safety in the studios. They will balance their time between being a workshop participant and providing basic assistance and safety supervision in the studio in collaboration with the faculty and Haystack staff.
Studio Assistant positions are professional development opportunities through the Haystack Fellowship program, receiving tuition, room, and board, plus a monetary award. SAs must be 18 years of age or older and are financially responsible for travel, shop fees, and any materials they use during their workshops. Independent committees of artists are assembled to identify and select Studio Assistant Fellows through a competitive review process.
2025 STUDIO ASSISTANT FELLOW POSITIONS
Session 1 | June 8–20
Ceramics | Kevin Snipes
Narrative+ Thinking through MakingFiber | Amy Meissner
Brokenness: The Craft of Garment Repair + Alteration
Session 2 | June 22–July 4
Blacksmithing | Stephen Yusko
Boxes, Bits + PiecesCeramics | Shae Bishop
Talking Through Tiles
Session 3 | July 13–25
Ceramics | Nicole Seisler
Teachers’ Teachers
Session 4 | July 27–August 8
Ceramics | Masa Sasaki
Theme + Variation on Surface DesignGlass | Bohyun Yoon
Immersion into Glass
Session 5 | August 10–22
Ceramics | Richard Notkin + Trey Hill
Everything Everywhere All at Once: A Plethora of Techniques
Session 6 | August 24–30
Ceramics | Celia Feldberg
Storybook SurfacesFiber | Alyson Ainsworth
Drafting Weave CreationGlass | Maria Bang Espersen
Experimentation in the Hotshop: Can a Apple Explode Glass?
STUDIO ASSISTANT APPLICATION
Application Opens January 7, 2025
Studio Assistant Application Deadline
January 17, 2025
Before applying, we encourage applicants to review our Fees & Policies and Frequently Asked Questions.
Thanks to major support from the Windgate Foundation, Haystack has waived applications fees for its summer workshops
2025 Fees & Policies
Tuition, Room & Board
Fixed costs for workshop expenses are tuition, room and board, paid in advance, and will be invoiced prior to the start of each session. Additional expenses vary depending on individual workshop shop fees and the cost of workshop materials.
For general workshop applicants, when indicating your preference for housing, be sure to include your first and second choices on your application. While we make every effort to accommodate participants' first housing choice, we cannot guarantee it based on availability.
Meals costs are included in all Room & Board rates, including Day Student rate—meals are never a separate or pro-rated cost. There are no exceptions.
2025 SUMMER WORKSHOP RATES
| Tuition | Session 1–5 | Session 6 |
|---|---|---|
| General Tuition per session |
$1,500 | $800 |
| Glass Tuition per session |
$1,905 | $1,298 |
| Room & Board | Session 1-5 | Session 6 |
| Double with bath | $2,140 | $1,185 |
| Quad with bath | $2,035 | $1,020 |
| Double near central bath |
$1,320 | $790 |
| Triple near central bath |
$1,000 | $560 |
| Dorm near central bath (limited availibility) |
$700 | $405 |
| Day Student Individuals choosing to reside off campus at their own expense |
$590 | $355 |
Deposits
Upon notification of acceptance into a workshop, a $300 non-refundable deposit for each session is required by February 28, 2025, and will be applied to tuition, room, and board.
Final Balance
The full balance of tuition, room, and board must be paid no later than 60 days prior to the start of a given session. Participants will forfeit their workshop spot if the full balance is not made by the payment deadline.
Cancellation Policy
When planning and preparing for programs, Haystack devotes substantial time and resources, and vacancies can be difficult to fill.
All cancellations must be made in writing by mail or email (no phone calls please) to the Registrar at registrar@haystack-mtn.org. For cancellations received 60 days before your session begins, a refund less the $300 non-refundable deposit will be issued. No refunds will be issued for cancellations less than 60 days before the start of your session.
Final dates to cancel and receive a refund:
Session 1 | April 9
Session 2 | April 23
Session 3 | May 14
Session 4 | May 28
Session 5 | June 11
Session 6 | June 25
If it becomes necessary for Haystack to cancel a workshop for any reason, students will be notified and a full refund of tuition, room, and board will be issued.
In the event of any type of cancellation, Haystack is not responsible for refunding airline tickets or other travel costs. Applicants are encouraged to review the information about Travel Insurance.
Travel Insurance
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts has partnered with Travel Insured International to provide travel insurance coverage to interested participants. Haystack recommends that participants with concerns about refunds for cancellations or unforeseen disruptions to travel consider acquiring travel insurance coverage. For more information and plan information, please refer to Travel Insured International’s website.
Shop Fees
2025 SHOP FEE ESTIMATES
| Studio | Estimated Shop Fee Range |
|---|---|
| Blacksmithing | $40-$150 |
| Ceramics | $30-$150 |
| Fiber | $10-$200 |
| Glass | $60-$135 |
| Graphics | $50-$200 |
| Metals | $25-$170 |
| Wood | $25-$150 |
| Writing (1-week) | $0-$15 |
Shop fees cover the cost of materials and supplies used in common in your studio. These costs are the financial responsibility of each participant, including fellowship students and Studio Assistant Fellows. Shop fees include supplies your faculty has ordered or provided. Depending on which workshop you are in, shop fees can include kiln firing, new glazes made for your workshop, small gas tanks used, coal, cullet, sawblades, sandpaper, any demonstration materials, etc.
Haystack calculates these costs specifically for each session to most accurately reflect the amount of supplies used during your workshop. These costs are divided evenly among the workshop participants. Shop fees do not include the cost of clay, wood, or steel.
Materials
Material costs are not included in the Shop Fees. All workshop participants, including fellowship students and Studio Assistant Fellows, are financially responsible for individual amounts of materials used. The Campus Store stocks clay, wood, and steel in the studios. Other materials/supplies are also available for purchase in the Store. A student memo and prep sheet detailing the workshop supplies and other personal items you will need to bring from home will be emailed upon enrollment in a workshop.
Community Guidelines & Nondiscrimination Policy
Everyone coming to Haystack commits to a culture in which all members feel personally safe, listened to, valued, and treated with fairness. Gathering together is an intentional act and a reciprocal process, with every individual sharing responsibility to contribute positively to the community. A shared understanding of our common goals is how we create community.
The campus and programs foster a culture of generosity, investigation, and exchange through the exploration of new ideas in a supportive and inclusive community. We serve an ever-changing group of makers and thinkers, working and learning alongside one another while exploring the intersections of craft, art, and design in broad and expansive ways.
Studio culture is central to the Haystack experience. Individuals must be respectful of shared space and resources, equipment, tools and materials, personal space, and follow the School’s safety and community guidelines at all times. It is essential that individuals listen to others and consider multiple perspectives, including in group discussions.
Haystack is committed to a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We do not discriminate against any individual or group of individuals on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identification, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, economic status, or veteran status. All are welcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I attend a workshop?
Anyone interested in attending a workshop will need to submit an application, workshops are not first come first served. All applications are reviewed competitively–see How to Apply for how to submit an application and selection criteria.
Do I need to include images with my application?
No. The applications for General Workshops, Fellowships, or Studio Assistant Fellows do not ask for images or work samples.
How much does it cost to attend a workshop?
No. If you are interested in purchasing a workshop as a gift, the recipient would first have to apply and be accepted. You would be able to pay the program fees on their behalf. Please see the How to Apply section for an overview of the application process.
Do you offer financial support to attend workshops?
Yes. Haystack’s fellowship program is a competitive opportunity, supporting individuals participating in summer workshops at the School. Fellowships cover tuition, room, and board (dorm - the cost difference to change to a different cabin is the responsibility of the individual), and a monetary award. Fellowship recipients are still responsible for travel, shop fees, and studio material costs. For more information on Fellowships and how to apply, see the Fellowships section above.
Can I purchase a workshop as a gift?
Yes and No. The Summer Workshop applications go through a competitive review process. If you are interested in purchasing a workshop as a gift, the recipient would first have to apply and be accepted. If they are accepted into a workshop, you would then be able to pay their fees on their behalf.
What are the housing options?
Haystack has several housing options to meet different needs, an overview of Haystack’s housing options is available on the Housing page. All participants should be prepared to share housing. Housing includes twin beds and a lightweight blanket and pillow are provided. If you have particular physical or mobility concerns, please note these on your application.
For General applicants when indicating your preference for housing, be sure to include your first and second choices on your application. While we make every effort to accommodate participants' first housing choice, we cannot guarantee it based on availability.
Fellows and Studio Assistant Fellows are placed in dorm housing. If you wish to upgrade to another housing type please indicate this in the “Housing Upgrade” question in the application. Participants would be responsible for paying for the upgrade. While we make every effort to accommodate participants' housing upgrade, we cannot guarantee it based on availability.
Can I choose my roommate?
If you wish to room with a specific person, you both will need to provide this information in the “Roommate Request” question of your applications.
I submitted an application, when will I know if I have been accepted or not?
Notifications of acceptance will be sent to the email provided in your application.
General Applicants: Friday, February 21
Fellowships: Monday, February 3
Studio Assistant Fellows: Monday, February 3
Can I take two workshops at once?
No. You may only be enrolled in one workshop during a session.
Do I need to be an accomplished artist to attend a Haystack workshop?
No. For each workshop we select a wide range of participants from varied backgrounds and skill levels. Unless otherwise noted in the workshop descriptions, workshops are open to all levels of participants—from beginners to advanced professionals. If you are interested in a beginner focused program, please see Square ONE, a new session created expressly for beginners.