What would it be like to be able to make a real difference in another person’s life? Sylvia “Hawthorne” Bowman is about to find out. Thanks to Hawthorne’s generosity, Rowe is pleased to announce The May Tree Residency for Women in the Arts.What would it be like to be able to make a real difference in another person’s life? Sylvia “Hawthorne” Bowman is about to find out. Thanks to Hawthorne’s generosity, Rowe is pleased to announce The May Tree Residency for Women in the Arts.
Inspired by women who made a difference in her life, Hawthorne decided to create an opportunity for a woman to reach her creative potential. The purpose of the residency is to provide space, time, and a nurturing environment for a woman to contribute to the world’s cultural life through her talent. The residency is intended to provide an opportunity for one artist to pursue her creative goal. Each year one woman will be chosen to live and work at Rowe to pursue her passion, whether that be visual arts, music, literature, poetry, or any other artistic pursuit.
Hawthorne has been a member of Rowe Camp and Conference Center since the early 80s and has been attending Rowe’s WomenCircles for over twenty years. A graduate of Vassar, a Fulbright scholar, a union organizer, and a lifetime political activist, she is highly intelligent and well read. A woman of strength, warmth, and compassion, she spent her lifetime making sure the strength and power of women were celebrated. Her generosity and vision for the May Tree Residency is a reflection of the values she has lived by throughout her life.
Hawthorne’s donation is providing funding for the residency as well as funding to winterize the art room, so it can become a studio that can be used in all weather, providing . It is Hawthorne’s hope that this program will inspire others to help create a May Tree Endowment in order to keep the residency funded over time.
Apply to be the Artist in Residence
One woman will be selected to live and work at Rowe from September, 2008, through May, 2009. Applicants in any of the arts will be considered.
Rowe will provide housing, studio space, and a monthly stipend to the selected artist, who will reside at Rowe as an active member of the community. She will be expected to participate in the responsibilities shared by the staff, such as meal preparation, KP rotations, participation in the intern project, and a weekly work assignment, totaling about eight hours per week. The rest of her time, she will be free to focus on her creative pursuits.
Applications should include a statement regarding your reasons for seeking the residency, a concise description of the work you intend to do, four references (two personal and two that can speak to your work and talents) and samples of your work (visual artists may send photos). Send applications to Rowe Camp and Conference Center, May Tree Residency Program, P.O. Box 273, Rowe, MA 01367, no later than May 30, 2008
We welcome donations to the May Tree Artist in Residence Endowment to sustain the program in Hawthorne’s memory for year’s to come. To make a donation, please click here.