RESIDENTIAL WORKSHOP INFORMATION

A workshop at the Marlboro Studio School provides students with an immersive, uninterrupted learning experience. During the course of a workshop, participants have the opportunity to investigate their passion for long stretches of time in the studios, and to connect with like-minded classmates who have also dedicated their time to the same pursuit.

Workshop classes are a chance to focus without the distractions of daily life, and to tap into the creative endeavors that sustain us all.  The Marlboro Studio School welcomes students to stay on campus for the duration of their stay, and area residents are also invited to participate as commuting Day Students.

Marlboro Studio School is nestled on Potash Hill in rural Marlboro, Vermont, about 12 miles west of Brattleboro. The 500-acre campus is mostly wooded, with extensive hiking trails connecting directly to the central buildings. Our state-of-the-art studio facilities were purpose-built in 2016, and they are fully ADA accessible.

Enrollment is now open for Spring 2025 Residential Workshops!

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Residential students arrive on the Marlboro Studio School/Potash Hill campus the after 4:00 pm the day prior to their first workshop session. That evening, all students attend our Orientation and a Welcome Dinner (day students are encouraged to join, as well). Some workshops may have their first class meeting that evening.

A typical workshop day-in-the-life:

  • Breakfast in the dining hall (residential students only)

  • Morning workshop session

  • Lunch (all students)

  • Afternoon workshop session

  • Dinner (residential students only)

After dinner, students may return to the studios to continue working (studios close for the night at 10:30pm, and reopen at 7:00am), or join the campus community for social events that include slide lectures by our visiting instructors, gallery exhibition receptions, studio walkthroughs, and campfire gatherings.

On the final day of most workshops, all students are invited to partake in a Session Showcase, farewell dinner, and party!

Marlboro Studio School residential students should plan to arrive on campus before 4:30 pm on the day prior to their first class. If alternate plans require a student to stay over Friday evening and depart Saturday morning, arrangements can be made.

OUR CAMPUS

Marlboro Studio School is nestled on Potash Hill in rural Marlboro, Vermont, about 12 miles west of Brattleboro. The 500+ acre campus is mostly wooded, with 19th century farmhouse style buildings, undeveloped forests, expansive views, and extensive hiking trails connecting directly to the central buildings.

Marlboro Studio School classes and workshops are held in the Center for Visual Arts. Our state-of-the-art studio facilities were purpose-built in 2016, and they are fully ADA accessible.

TRAVELING TO MARLBORO STUDIO SCHOOL

MSS is easily accessible by car (weather permitting, of course), and Brattleboro hosts an Amtrak station with daily routes from New York City.  The campus is about a 2.5 hour drive from Boston, and 4 hours from NYC. Students traveling by air can fly to Boston Logan International (BOS), Bradley International (BDL) near Hartford, CT, or any number of other smaller regional airports. Please contact us to discuss transportation to the MSS campus if you are planning to arrive by air.

HOUSING

Marlboro Studio School’s residence halls are comfortable dorm-style buildings tucked into unique corners of the Potash Hill campus, conveniently located a short walk from the studio facilities and dining hall. Our campus living arrangements are intentionally small and are designed to promote meaningful connections among students and staff.

Our main dorm buildings feature shared laundry facilities, a spacious common room, and an outside deck. All residences have shared all-gender bathrooms. Student accommodation features limited furnishings, including one twin bed per occupant and storage space for luggage and personal items. Bed linens and towels are included in student Room & Board costs, but students are welcome to provide their own linens. The cost of linen rental is not a separate cost and cannot be pro-rated.

HOUSING OPTIONS

The Marlboro Studio School offers the following housing options:

  • Single room (located near shared all-gender bath)

  • Double room (shared between two students; located near shared all-gender bath)

All rooms come equipped with a desk, chair, twin-XL bed with mattress, and some storage space for personal items.

Housing assignments are made shortly before the session begins. We do our best to match students with the type of housing they request, but this is not always possible, and we cannot honor requests for specific rooms or buildings. Note: we only house people enrolled in workshops.

A note about accessibility: Unfortunately, we are unable to offer ADA-compliant residential room options for our May 2025 residential workshop.

TUITION & FEES

The cost of daily breakfast, lunch and dinner during each residential workshop is included in all Room & Board rates for residential students—meals are not a separate or pro-rated cost. MSS serves a variety of professionally catered menus. Students must inform MSS of any dietary restrictions on enrollment and every effort will be made to accommodate those requests, however MSS cannot always accommodate every diet.

Day student tuition includes the cost of daily lunch for the duration of the program, as well as any special dinner/evening events (applicable events will be specified in each workshop description). The cost of meals included in day student tuition cannot be pro-rated.

Workshop charges vary depending on the accommodations desired and any tuition and/or studio fees. Marlboro Studio School makes every possible effort to assign students their first choice of housing accommodation, but occasionally the availability of housing options presents a challenge. In the event that Marlboro Studio School is unable to accommodate a student’s first choice of accommodation, the student will be notified, and an updated payment agreement will be issued to reflect the changes in that student’s total fee.

STUDIO FEES

Unless otherwise noted, the cost of materials for each workshop is included in the cost of tuition. Classes may have additional Studio Fees to cover the cost of materials. For items used by the whole class, the cost is distributed evenly among the participants. Otherwise, Studio Fees may be tallied during the workshop to be paid at the end of the session, based on personal use. If personal materials are required, students will receive a prep sheet prior to the beginning of the session with details about any materials they may need to bring in order to participate.

PAYMENT OF TUITION, ROOM AND BOARD, AND STUDIO FEES

The full balance of tuition, room and board must be paid at the point of enrollment without exception. Additional materials may be available for purchase during each session, as needed, and any additional studio fees will be reconciled at the end of the session.

WORKSHOP LEVELS

Each Marlboro Studio School workshop and class is rated on a skill-level scale of 1-5. Courses rated 1 are open to students of all skill levels, including beginners. Courses rated 5 are open only to experienced artists and craftspeople.

Skill levels: 1 - Beginner; 2 - Beginner/Intermediate; 3 - Intermediate; 4 - Intermediate/Advanced; 5 - Advanced