Recent Bylines
I first learned about Hewnoaks a few years ago while on assignment for Maine Magazine. I was in Lovell, which is where Hewnoaks is located, when my friend and editor suggested I stop by. I hadn’t heard of it, but that was only mildly surprising: I wasn’t plugged into the residency circuit. Still, I assumed I should have heard of a residency of note only an hour and a half from Portland. That’s the thing about Hewnoaks: part of its magic is its mystique. It’s also not well known because it’s relatively young. Once I’d visited, though, I couldn’t quite believe I hadn’t heard more about the gorgeous property with its impressive history and programming that’s free to artists and medium agnostic.
In early 2025, the executive director of the nonprofit that manages Hewnoaks emailed to tell me that the property owner, the University of Maine Foundation (UMF), was offering to transfer ownership to the nonprofit––the latter just needed to raise $1 million. Not to buy the property, but to demonstrate an ability to care for the grounds and its structures.
The piece I wrote for Town & Country, published in November 2025, gives an overview of the residency, the grounds, and what the transfer of ownership could mean for both.
Read it here.
