Mary Mattingly
“The Surf Point residency has been an unforgettable experience. I can't do justice to how much appreciation I feel for this time at Surf Point. Waking up to the ocean, being able to spread out in a large studio space and make new work for three weeks has been transformative.”
Baxter Koziol
“I know I will feel the ramifications of my time at Surf Point every time I'm in the studio. It’s one of those places.”
Sascha Branuig
“Each day at Surf Point, I woke up to the bright daylight and a feeling of possibility and excitement. After a year of collective grief, I thought a lot about geologic time versus human lifespans, i.e. creativity and mortality, thoughts that were sometimes mournful but other times liberatory. Whether or not I acted on these potentialities, I experienced a creative opening that was completely distinct from my usual studio routine. I believe the combination of the location of the building on the Atlantic coast and the benevolent spirit of its designers and former occupants, Beverly and Mary-Leigh, form a heightened receptivity to creative thought. I took the glow of this feeling back to normal life and it continues to infuse my activities.”
Erin Johnson
“My time at Surf Point was invaluable. The rhythm created by the view of the ocean, and architectural layout of the house itself, moved me and my work - gently, but with persistence.”
Kathleen Kolb
“My residency at Surf Point gave me solid, expansive, productive, creative time in an elemental setting that grounded the work. The other residents enriched my experience, broadening my mind, and my network. In three short weeks I came away with finished work for exhibition, and new peers I look forward to maintaining connections with.”
Cynthia Barton
“My time at Surf Point enabled me to do some of the most focused, intense work of my career. It was a privilege to have the company of excellent new colleagues, and inspiring to have the ocean nearly part of my studio.”
Jibade-Khalil Huffman
“Surf Point was a game changer for me in terms of time and space to finish a long in the works piece as well and refocus moving forward. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity.”
Yevgeniya Baras
“Surf Point is a place that links the resident artist to a number of histories: the biography of the studio and building where art has been made and ideas have been exchanged for decades, to Maine where so many artist colonies have thrived throughout time. This is very palpable and special to experience, that lineage. And in addition to history there is the austere and powerful nature that seeps into the studio. Its sounds and geometry are inescapable. The residency is a fantastic place to reflect and make work, near the rugged and timeless coastline, in the presence of remarkable histories.”
Dennis RedMoon Darkeem
“In a moment of chaos & uncertainty, I received a phone call that I was accepted for the SPF residency. I was ecstatic for the good news. Overwhelmed with curiosity and joy for this new experience. Arriving at the home feeling overwhelmed with honor, joy and freedom. During my time at the residency I was able to photograph, hike, paint, collect shells off the beach, play loud music, dance around, jump, listen to the night winds, play with stones, see places I would never have seen, meet amazing individuals, have great talks with fellow artists, made a basket or two, make collages, learn how to make rope from plants, do some reading, think about the future of my artworks, create sculptures that turn into a performance art piece, made a video...I was able to teach from my studio, create curriculum and lessons for my students involving nature, meditation and transformation. I had seafood, ordered food, had great studio visits, met other arts organizations, made a snowman, experienced a Maine snowstorm and hours of no Wi-Fi. Being able to wake up to amazing sunrises and walk along the ocean front has given me a new body of work, a deeper love of nature, water, and a transformation that was needed for me to create and learn.”
Meghan Brady
“Surf Point was more than I had allowed myself to hope for. The absolute beauty and otherness of its location and story was not clear to me until I relaxed into my residency. And I think that's what I got most from it - a kind of permission to let myself be and do what I needed to do. In other words, to relax! To relax back into my mind and spirit. I felt no exterior pressure to perform, achieve, reach and that was an unexpected gift. I had time to paint and work but also to write, read, think, and wander around in the woods and daydream.”
Suzy Delvalle
“The SPF residency was just what I needed to recover, refocus and REGENERATE! Muchas gracias por esta oportunidad!”
Shannon Finnegan
“I am grateful for places like Surf Point that give artists space and resources with the trust that they will use that support in the ways that best suit their needs. Artists need project-based support but we also need support to research, rest, dream, and plan. These things are vital to the sustainability of our practices.”
Julia Rommel
“I was comfortable doing less at Surf Point, waking to sit on the craggy shore and watch the sunrise, letting hours go by. I started noticing the variety of life on the property- each tidal pool hosting its own unique world, so many different plants and animals, shifts in the smells as the tides change. It reset my senses, inspired me, and allowed me to approach my work in a new way.”
Dr. Carrie Cushman - December, 2019
“Time seems to grow at Surf Point. Everyday there was rich in productivity, contemplation, and personal and professional growth.”
Daniel AnTon Johnson
“Between the house, the views, and the community, there's something really special about Surf Point.”
Elaine K. Ng
“I loved my studio space and its glorious view of the ocean and surf. Being able to watch the surf come in and the weather change each day - you would think this would be unproductive, but actually it gave me the peaceful and expansive mental space I needed to work. Surf Point has all the makings for an exceptional residency program: a legacy specifically in support of the artistic process, an intangible spirit of place, and a generous and supportive staff and organization. What more could an artist ask for?”
Anna Helper
“I dove into a state of full immersion in the studio, and was held there by the relentless pounding waves (the drum beat of the Atlantic edge), savoring the chance to focus without interruption, and cared for in such a way that risk taking became inevitable.”