The Maine Crafts Association (MCA), in partnership with the Maine Arts Commission and the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, is proud to announce the seven mentor/apprentice pairs selected for the 2026 Craft Apprentice Program (CAP). Now in its 11th year, the program continues to honor the enduring power of mentorship, creativity, and fine craft across Maine and New Hampshire.
2026 Mentor + Apprentice Pairs
Albert Nhan + Chrystina Gastelum | Maine, Fiber
Jason Fox + Zachary Sherman | Maine, Wood
Malley Weber + Michelle “Misha” Oraa Ali | Maine, Ceramics
Nisa Smiley + Jesse Mixer | Maine, Jewelry
Shana Brautigam + Molly Ludlam | New Hampshire, Ceramics
Travis Clough + Hale Linnet | Maine, Fiber
Tyler Gulden + Janet Moran | Maine + New Hampshire, Ceramics
Together, these partnerships represent a dynamic cross-section of contemporary craft, rooted in tradition and driven by innovation.
Launched in Maine in 2016, the Craft Apprentice Program offers emerging craft artists a rare opportunity to deepen their skills through immersive, in-studio learning. Each apprenticeship is built on a meaningful partnership between an apprentice and an established mentor artist, fostering technical growth, professional development, and creative exploration.
Mentor/apprentice pairs apply jointly with clearly defined artistic goals, a structured work plan, and a proposed budget to support the apprentice’s stipend. Both participants submit portfolios and supporting materials for review. Over the course of seven months and 100 hours of focused, one-on-one studio time, apprentices refine their craft techniques, strengthen their professional practices, and develop their artistic voices with the guidance of their mentors.
The program culminates in October with an alumni gathering, a capstone exhibition, and a public reception at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine, showcasing work created during the apprenticeship. In November, the exhibition travels to the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Headquarters & Gallery, expanding the celebration to a broader regional audience.
MCA, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, and the Maine Arts Commission congratulate the 2026 apprenticeship pairs and are honored to support their journeys as they refine their craft, strengthen their business acumen, and build lasting connections within the craft community.
The 2026 jury panel includes Diana Arcadipone, 2025 CAP mentor and professional artist (paper/book arts); David East, executive director, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts; and Lisa Almeida, education coordinator, League of New Hampshire Craftsmen.
The 2026 Craft Apprentice Program is made possible through generous funding from the Maine Arts Commission, with media and magazine sponsorship from Maine Home + Design. Additional program support comes from MCA organizational partner League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, and MCA Cornerstones Hay Runner & Woodhull.
Dowling Walsh Gallery Opens 2026 Season with Solo Exhibitions by Artists Lauren Fensterstock and Jacob Bond Hessler
Sidle House Gallery in Freeport opens its 2026 season with “Anne Hebebrand: A World That Is,” a solo exhibition of cold-wax and oil paintings on view May 1 through June 13. An opening reception is May 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition draws from seven years of Hebebrand’s work, which she describes as […]
Waterfall Arts in Belfast is showing “Make Your Mark,” an immersive, community-driven exhibition in the Clifford Gallery through May 29. The opening reception was held April 18. Conceived by program director Amy Tingle, the show draws inspiration from street art and the call-and-response nature of public creative expression. The exhibition features participatory installations including doodle […]
Centre Street Arts Gallery in Bath will hold its spring reception May 15 from 5 to 7 p.m., featuring work by the gallery’s 22 member artists. Centre Street Arts Gallery is at 11 Centre St., Bath. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Email centrestartsgalleryllc@gmail.com or call 207-442-0300 for more information.
Artemis Gallery in Northeast Harbor opens its 15th season with a group exhibition and reception on May 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. The show features work in stone sculpture by Obadiah Buell, woodblock print by Nicole Herz, oil paintings by Liddy Hubbell and David LaPalombara, photography by Parker Stewart and bronze sculpture by Rebekah […]
The Kittery Art Association, in collaboration with the York Public Library, presents “Eleven Views from Here,” on view May 2 through June 30 at the York Public Library, 15 Long Sands Road, York. An opening reception is May 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibition features selected works by 11 KAA artists representing the […]
The Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland will open “By Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth” with a public reception on May 1 from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibition runs May 2 through Oct. 16 in the Hadlock and Wyeth Study Center Galleries, with additional programming in the Wyeth Center from June 13 through […]
Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland is showing “5AM in the Pinewoods,” a solo exhibition of paintings by Joanna Logue, through May 9. Logue, a native of Australia who has lived on Mount Desert Island since 2017, takes inspiration from daily hikes in Acadia National Park near her home in Somesville. The changing colors of the […]
The Maine Crafts Association will present STITCH: Runway Show + Style Market on June 4 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Maine Studio Works, 170 Anderson St., Portland. The annual fundraising event celebrates Maine’s slow fashion designers, textile artists and makers. Six Maine-based designers will present original handcrafted wearable work in a live runway show […]
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