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Alumni News (January '26)
Every season, we welcome ~50 artists to Hewnoaks to live simply and shape their days around what their practice needs most. Somewhere between the long studio days, bonfires by the lake, walks through the woods, and late-night conversations, something settles in – the land, the loons, the people, the quiet, the rare feeling of being fully present in your work. Artists who have spent time at Hewnoaks tend to remember it vividly, and they tend to stay connected.
Hewnoaks alumni are out in the world doing remarkable things: showing in galleries, publishing books, earning grants, teaching, collaborating, taking creative risks – in small towns and big cities, on stages and on the page.
This monthly update is a chance to celebrate the work, milestones, and creative lives of artists who have spent time here. And equally as important, it’s a reminder that while a residency may only last a week or two, the connection to Hewnoaks is forever!
January ’26 Updates:
Asha Tamirisa (’22): Awarded a Moving Image Fund Grant from the LEF Foundation in support of feature-length documentary work. Asha’s project Smoke Gets In Your Eyes is an experimental documentary exploring wildfire smoke as a way of sensing and making sense of the climate crisis.
Dean McCrillis (’24): Giving an Artist Talk on January 8, 2026 during his solo exhibition Dog Years at Cove Street Arts in Portland; the exhibition is on view through January 17, 2026.
Emily Nemens (’24): Reading from and speaking about her new novel Clutch at Mechanics’ Hall in Portland, Maine, on February 4, 2026 at 7pm.
Holden Willard (’23) & Brian Smith (’21): Included in Maine Ecology & Art Residency: 1st Annual Exhibition at The Parsonage Contemporary Art (Searsport, ME), on view through March 1, 2026.
Isabelle Maschal O’Donnell (’18): Exhibition Green Winding Road on view at Artists & Writers through March 20, 2026. The image at the top of this email showcases Isabelle’s work.
Tanya Crane (’23): Teaching Enamel: Pattern & Imagery at Penland School of Craft in April 2026.
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