Surf Point
Mission
Surf Point provides time, space and support for members of the visual arts community to think, connect and create.
Program
In keeping with the vision of our founders, arts patron Mary-Leigh Smart and artist Beverly Hallam, Surf Point offers nominated artists and art professionals three-week live-work residencies in a boldly Modernist home on the coast of York, Maine.
Vision
Founded in the conviction that the visual arts - and its practitioners - are essential to human experience, Surf Point fosters a diverse and inclusive community where members from all backgrounds can thrive.
Values
Surf Point commits to equity, transparency and integrity in our: recruitment and care of residents; engagement with the public and conserved land; building and site accessibility; investments and budgetary decisions; and board and staff composition.
Residency Program Information
Residency Program Summary
Application Information
We use a bi-annual nomination process to reach a diverse pool of candidates from across the U.S. and to focus administrative resources on the program itself. The process begins with an invitation to dozens of nominators (alumni, academics, artists, curators, writers, etc.) to share names of eligible individuals, including visual artists, curators, writers, or other art professionals. Nominees must have a strong work history and be interested in a largely self-directed experience in a secluded setting. Above all, they must be kind and thoughtful of others.
Nominees show their interest by submitting an online application, and selections are made by lottery to ensure that all applications are considered equally. We aim to balance accepted residents with a waitlist in case of cancellations. Residents are given access to a handbook with details of our program and events, including informal studio visits and guided nature explorations.