From January to April, students from Deer Isle-Stonington High School, George Stevens Academy and Bucksport High School are working, over several weekends, with local artist mentors in individualized and intensive workshops in the artists’ studios.

Thirteen students are working with five professional artists from the area in Haystack Mountain School of Crafts’ 2016 Mentor Program: Mark Bell (porcelain clay/wheel-throwing), Robin Cust (metals/jewelry), Chris Leith (weaving), Susan Webster (printmaking/mixed media), and Eric Ziner (blacksmithing).

The program will culminate with a public exhibition of work by the students and mentors involved in this year’s program. The show will be mounted at Haystack’s Center for Community Programs, with an opening reception on Sunday, April 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. The work will remain on view for one week.

Haystack’s Interim Community Programs Coordinator, Mamie LaFrance, is coordinating this year’s program and exhibition.

Support for the 2016 Mentor Program comes from these funds of Haystack’s Program Endowment: the Ann and Chuck Holland Fund, the Belvedere Fund, and the Betsy Rowland Fund. Haystack’s 2016 general operating fund is supported in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.