Celebrated Artists and Writers to Lead 2025 Summer Workshops at Fine Arts Work Center’s Historic Provincetown Campus

Provincetown, MA (January 10, 2025) — The Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) announces its 2025 Summer Workshop Program, featuring 64 weeklong creative writing and visual arts workshops led by some of today’s most compelling contemporary artists and writers. Registration opens Wednesday, January 15, 2025, between 9:00 a.m. and noon Eastern Time for nine weeks of workshops running from June 15 – August 15, 2025.

Known for its off-season 7-month fellowship that nurtured the careers of cultural icons including Louise Glück, Jhumpa Lahiri, Michael Cunningham, Firelei Báez, and Jacolby Satterwhite, the Work Center welcomes the public every summer, offering 64 workshops in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drawing, painting, print-making, photography, and more.

This season welcomes internationally acclaimed photographer Catherine Opie, who is teaching at the Work Center for the first time. Her workshop, “Critique: Sequencing and Storytelling in Contemporary Photography,” will explore the relationship between sequencing and storytelling in photography, with a focus on exhibition and book formats.

The program’s third annual Queer Week (June 22-27), curated by writer Andrea Lawlor, features an exceptional lineup, including Alexander Chee, who returns to teach “Resurrections,” a workshop helping writers breathe new life into challenging fiction projects. The week also includes workshops by Carmen Maria Machado (The Monstrous Body), Cameron Awkward-Rich (Catching Up With Yourself), Celeste Lescene (Queering Story), Miriam Klein Stahl (Printing Our Queer and Trans Lineage), and Ilana Savdie (The Monstrous Body), examining intersections of identity, craft, and artistic practice.

The 2025 program deepens FAWC’s historic connection to Provincetown’s extraordinary landscape and artistic legacy. Several workshops specifically explore the intersection of art and environment. Mark Adams, artist-scientist in residence at the Center for Coastal Studies, will lead participants in “Drawing/Journaling the Beaches and Dune Landscapes of Provincetown,” following in the footsteps of Henry David Thoreau while developing observational drawing techniques. Cape Cod-based painter and past FAWC Fellow James Everett Stanley, whose work has long been influenced by Provincetown’s distinctive light and landscape, returns to teach “Renewed Vision,” guiding students through both plein air painting and portraiture.

“Our 2025 season reflects the Work Center’s commitment to nurturing artistic freedom while building meaningful creative connections,” says Sharon Polli, Executive Director. “Whether you’re just beginning your creative journey or deepening an established practice, our workshops provide the time, space, and community to transform your work.”

The Work Center deepens its commitment to accessibility in 2025, building on last year’s successful initiative that provided scholarships to 20% of summer workshop participants. Through expanded scholarship partnerships with organizations including Lambda Literary, Cave Canem, and local Cape Cod institutions, a tiered tuition system, and dedicated funding for historically underrepresented artists, FAWC aims to open the doors of the Summer Workshop Program even wider in 2025.

“Last year, we provided over 110 artists and writers with full tuition support, with half of those scholarships serving Cape Cod’s creative community,” says David Simpson, Programs Director. “This summer, we’re expanding our reach further, ensuring our workshops are accessible to emerging voices from historically underserved communities.”

Each week, evening readings and artist talks are open to the public, fostering dialogue between workshop participants and the broader Provincetown community. Workshop sizes average 8-10 students, ensuring individual attention and meaningful peer engagement. Limited on-site housing is available for workshop participants.

For complete program details and registration, visit fawc.org/summer.