Haystack Mountain School of Crafts

Deer Isle, ME

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is an international craft school located on the coast of Maine, dedicated to connecting people through craft. Founded in 1950, the school offers immersive one- and two-week workshops, residency programs, and symposia that foster experimentation across the visual arts, design, and architecture. Its award-winning campus serves as a seasonal laboratory for creative exchange, where artists, scholars, and thinkers engage with materials, methods, and ideas in an inclusive community. Haystack’s programs emphasize both hands-on studio practice and critical inquiry, supported by partnerships with institutions including the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Haystack’s founding and launch of workshop programs.

With support from FCI, Haystack will advance plans to install a rooftop solar array capable of generating more electricity than the school consumes annually. This technical assistance phase will fund a detailed project plan developed by ReVision Energy, an employee-owned solar firm based in Maine, and support the application for an interconnection agreement with Versant Power, the regional utility. The project builds on Haystack’s longstanding commitment to land stewardship and climate responsibility, including divestment from fossil fuels. Transitioning to solar power will not only strengthen the school’s operational sustainability but also contribute to the energy security of the surrounding rural community. Once implemented, the system will enable Haystack to achieve near net-zero electricity usage—reducing emissions, cutting costs, and modeling how arts institutions can embed climate action into place-based practice.

Milestones

• Prepare a detailed solar array implementation plan with ReVision Energy

• Apply for interconnection agreement with Versant Power

• Advance plans for solar installation to reach near zero electricity use

• Reduce long-term utility costs and operational emissions

• Integrate sustainability into long-term facilities planning

• Position the campus as a model for clean energy in arts education settings