Skowhegan

Skowhegan, ME

Founded in 1946 by artists for artists, Skowhegan is a nine-week intensive program that convenes sixty-five emerging artists and eleven faculty on a 350-acre rural campus in central Maine. With a focus on process, experimentation, and artist-to-artist exchange, the program offers an immersive environment beyond the norms of academia or market-driven production. Artists live and work in converted barns and camps, drawing on the land, studio resources, and Skowhegan’s 14,000-volume library to forge new directions in their practice. Rooted in a history of inclusivity and innovation, Skowhegan fosters a deeply collaborative and self-directed experience that has shaped generations of contemporary artists.

The Skowhegan Energy Assessment & Sustainability Planning Project will evaluate campus-wide energy use and climate-related vulnerabilities, including heat stress, rainfall impacts, and power resilience. In partnership with consultants, FB Environmental, the study will generate a Sustainability Action Plan matrix outlining prioritized infrastructure upgrades, from energy efficiency retrofits and behavioral shifts to potential clean energy solutions such as microgrids and solar storage. Informed by regional hazard and resilience assessments, the plan will guide Skowhegan’s long-term facilities strategy and ensure that its historic campus—integral to the artistic and pedagogical experience—remains functional, adaptive, and environmentally responsible in a changing climate.

Milestones

• Conduct site-wide energy and climate vulnerability assessment

• Evaluate risks related to extreme heat, rainfall, and power outages

• Explore infrastructure upgrades including electrification and microgrid potential

• Identify energy efficiency strategies for buildings and behavior

• Develop a Sustainability Action Plan matrix to guide future planning

• Align long-term facilities strategy with climate resilience goals