Community Day #09 at Surf Point

Join us for Community Day #09!

We are thrilled to invite you to our summer Community Day, featuring a temporary installation of sculptures by artist Tory Fair; a presentation reflecting on writer May Sarton and her beloved pets with Maine Women Writers Collection archivist Jefferson Navicky; tours of our live-work oceanfront residency building, and more.

The goal of our Community Day series is to raise awareness and funds for the work we do to 1) support diverse visual artists and art workers through our residency program; 2) steward our 46 acres of coastal and forested land; 3) host programs open to the public; and 4) promote and share research on our historic legacy.

We hope you can fit us into your summer plans! Read the full program of events below.

Schedule of Events

11am - 2pm
Self-guided tours of Wild Knoll Foundation Garden
A public art project by residency alum Carly Glovinski ‘21, inspired by writer May Sarton, and a short walk from the Surf Point building. The garden will serve as a stage for artist Tory Fair’s kinetic, life-sized sculptures of sunflowers in this one-day-only installation. Flower arrangements from the garden will be made throughout the day and available for a suggested donation of $15.

11am - 12pm
Tours of the building
Check out Surf Point’s artist studios and living spaces. Meticulously planned by Surf Point co-founders Mary-Leigh Smart and Beverly Hallam in the late 1960s (and constructed in the early 1970s), the house features panoramic views of the ocean and is home to our year-round residency program for artists and arts workers.


12pm - 1:30pm
Summery treats including gelato will be available from the Coppa Magica truck

12pm - 12:15pm 
Artist Talk with Tory Fair
Tory Fair will talk about her installation in Wild Knoll Foundation Garden and share about her process. Tory writes, “My sculptures are direct casts of sunflowers and are made from dirt and silicone. They serve as both memories and as messengers. The mixture of dirt and silicone provides an aggregate that is in mutiny with its form as a flower. […] I view the sculptures as living memories of each flower I am able to harvest in various growing seasons.” 

12:15pm - 12:35pm
“May Sarton and Her Menagerie” with Jefferson Navicky
Renowned poet and author May Sarton published over fifty books of poetry, fiction, journals, and memoirs. At the invitation of Surf Point co-founders, she spent her last decades living at Surf Point’s Wild Knoll. Sarton cared deeply for animals, and they were often her companions in both life and her writing. In this brief talk, MWWC Archivist Jefferson Navicky will share a few anecdotes about Sarton’s pets, as well as a selection of her writing about the animals she so dearly loved. We will also point out one of her beloved pets’ gravestones on the property.

Other highlights:

• Local summery treats available to those who come!

• All are welcome, including dogs on leash (outdoors only)

• Support Surf Point by buying merch and alumni editions, with new items released on August 3!

• Walk the trails on our 46-acre property

• Explore tidal pools and oceanfront

• Visit Buoy Gallery, Corey Daniels Gallery, the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (OMAA) and make a day of it!

Community Day is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Address and directions to our site in York, Maine will be sent to registered attendees several days before the event. Surf Point is able to host these programs thanks to small-dollar donations from the public.