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V O L . X X X I N O. X I X 82 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine P H OTO E S S AY who come in residence to learn about each other's work and cultures," Harris says. "is cultural sharing also extends to our students when they have the opportunity to meet the artists in their studios, and to the local community, as they are part of the town while they are in residence. ey have break- fast at the general store and walk past the post office on the way to the studio, meeting the locals along the way." Jemma Gascoine, who came to Monson after stints in London and New York City, is the owner of Monson Pottery/Jemma Gascione Gallery and Studio. "e artists in the residencies can be fascinating," she says. "I feel pretty blessed when I attend the open studio events at the end of every residency session. e creativity and skill on display is astounding." A James Beard Award winner I stopped at the Quarry to meet Marilou "Lulu" Ranta, the chef and owner, whose restaurant occupies a lake- side space leased from Libra. She won the 2023 James Beard award for hospitality. "Forget the sophisticated eateries of Manhattan or San Francisco, but the Quarry, a fine-dining restau- rant located in Monson, Maine, 60 miles northwest of Bangor, has outdone them all by being named the 2023 James Beard Award winner for Hospitality," Gary Stern wrote at the time in Forbes magazine. Something else that differentiates her from most restaurant chef-owners. When she takes a brief break from creating her multi-course meals, she emerges from the kitchen to speak with guests at each table. She is treated like a rock star. Asked about her skill in hospitality, Lulu is matter- of-fact in her response. "at's easy," she says. "I'm Filipino and where I'm from, if your neighbor doesn't have a chicken and you do, you give them your chicken … I love people, I just love them." Monson's heritage Denekas and I journeyed to the home and studio of Todd Watts, director of the Abbott-Watts Photography Residency at Monson Arts. He moved his studio to Monson from a SoHo loft in New York City. "Monson is a very small close-knit town, but unlike many small towns in Maine it has a long history of people arriving from away," Watts told me. "Not tour- ists, per se, but people from Europe and Canada who settled here to work in the slate quarries, in the logging business and later the furniture factory." Henry David oreau stayed in Monson on his treks while researching "e Maine Woods," first published in 1864. In the early 20th century, artists started rolling in. "e first notable artist, Seth Steward, was already in residence when the painter Carl Sprinchorn arrived," Watts says. "Sprinchorn had been managing Robert Henri's art school on Monhegan Island. When he moved to Monson he invited his friends like Marsden Hartley. ey were both friends of Berenice Abbott and Elizabeth McCausland. When Abbott and McCausland moved in they invited their artist friends from Paris and New York." Later, artists like Alan Bray and John Bozin sup- ported the arts in Monson and when the artist Jemma » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Chantal Harris is director of Monson Arts. Lake Hebron is behind her. Harris says, "We have hosted 585 artists in residence since 2018. They are mostly U.S.-based artists from Maine to California. We have also welcomed international artists from Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, the Philippines, France, Mexico, Argentina, to name a few." "Thank you for saving us," said John Tatko III, left, as Libra Foundation President and CEO Craig Denekas stopped by to say hi to him. Tatko is owner of Sheldon Slate Co. in Monson. "Libra took a place that was on the cusp of dying and gave it new life," says Tatko. Daniel Ray of Monson speeds to victory in Monson's Whatever Floats Race as part of the Monson Summer Festival.

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