AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) today announced the opening of its 2023 Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) Visiting Artist Program application period. The program invites visual artists to the remote wilderness of Maine for two consecutive weeks of solitude. One artist and a guest will receive lodging at the AWW Lock Dam Camp for two weeks of the artist's choosing during August and an orientation and regular visits from AWW Rangers. Visual artists may apply on the AWW webpage. The application period ends Monday, February 6, 2023.

"Each year, we invite artists to the Allagash Wilderness Waterway with the hope that the unique experience in a place of such natural beauty will propel their careers forward while contributing to the enduring legacy of the Allagash," said DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal.

"The Waterway is a spectacular place, and the opportunity to spend time there as an artist is as unique an experience as you can find. The rangers and I look forward to this opportunity and work to make the artist comfortable and confident in this endeavor," said AWW Superintendent Mark Deroche.

Here's what past artists had to say:

The 2021 AWW Visiting Artist Marty Cotter of Columbus, Ohio, shared that her Maine experience led to two national park residencies, Capital Reed National Park in Utah and Great Basin National Park in Nevada.

"I look back at my AWW Visiting Artist experience as a time of creative growth. The solitude gave me the freedom to explore my surroundings in detail. My resulting pieces were more developed in capturing the detail and mood of the scenes and creatures of the waterway." - AWW Visiting Artist Marty Cotter.

Michael Vermette of Indian Island, Maine, the 2020 AWW Visiting Artist, used the experience to further his skills and connected the journey to his mission to "reveal the currents and energy of his surroundings."

"There is no better adventure, no greater teacher, and no inspiring awakening that is more profound than to find yourself isolated and able to create on 92 miles of Maine's wildest lake and river system. The Allagash Wilderness Waterway Visiting Artist Program gives the artist that unique opportunity to be immersed in a raw beauty that will not only cause any painter to evolve productively but to have their soul washed, as Henry David Thoreau's writings continue to wash our spirits, even today!" AWW Visiting Artist Michael E. Vermette.

A video conversation with Vermette about his experience in the Allagash is found on the AWW Visiting Artist Program webpage. Vermette includes more about his mission at Lock Dam Camp and describes 50 Plus One, the book he produced following his residency.

Interested visual artists should learn more and apply on the AWW webpage. Or contact Mark Deroche at (207) 941-4014, (207) 557-1372, or by email.

About the AWW The AWW, which stretches 92 miles, was established by the Maine State Legislature in 1966 and designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1970 as the first state-administered component of the National Wild and Scenic River System. Explore the Allagash at maine.gov/allagash, discover the AWW Foundation and order a copy of the Allagash Explorer.