The Mastheads is an experimental public arts and humanities project in Pittsfield. Its mission is to connect residents to the literary history of the region, create a forum for thinking about place, and support the production of new creative work.
Summer Residency
Each summer, the Mastheads selects five writers across disciplines (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, translation, playwriting, comics, and more) for a three-week residency program at Arrowhead, the historic home of Herman Melville. Residents are provided exclusive access to a rustic, open air studio each an architectural interpretation of the original structure from which one of five American Renaissance authors wrote in the Berkshires. For complete details on the Summer Residency Program, including information on applying, visit themastheads.org
Day Residency
The Day Residency program runs seasonally, from June through October, at Melville’s Arrowhead. It is open to anyone working on a creative project.
The Day Residency includes private use of your choice of The Mastheads studios, a tour of Melville’s historic home, and access to the extensive grounds and trail network at Arrowhead. You may reserve as many days as you like.
The Day Residency fee is $100 per day. These funds support our free public humanities programming in Pittsfield and the Berkshire Historical Society at Melville’s Arrowhead. We also offer several sliding-scale residency positions. If you’d like to participate, just email info@themastheads.org with a description of your project and how much you can afford.
For complete information on the Day Residency Program, visit themastheads.org/day-residency.