Applications are open for the Allagash Wilderness Waterway 2021 Visiting Artist Program, which brings artists to the remote wilderness of Maine for two-weeks of solitude. The program provides artists with the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature to interpret and share their experiences through their art. For summer 2021, one chosen artist and a guest will receive complimentary lodging at the Allagash Wilderness Waterway’s Lock Dam Camp for two weeks during August and orientation by waterway rangers. The application deadline is Feb. 28, and notification will be made by March 20. Interested artists are encouraged to apply online at appengine.egov.com.
Lock Dam Camp is a one-room cabin on the northern end of Chamberlain Lake, one of the largest and deepest lakes in the North Maine Woods. For 28 summers, it was the home of Dorothy Boone Kidney and her husband Milford, where they provided information to canoeists and tended the dam. Dorothy Boone Kidney wrote two books about their life at Lock Dam, “Wilderness Journal: Life, Living, Contentment in the Allagash Woods of Maine,” and “Away from it all.”
Lock Dam Camp, one-room cabin, Allagash Wilderness Waterway Visiting Artist accommodations. Contributed photo
Lock Dam Camp is located approximately 10 miles from the boat launch at the southern end of Chamberlain Lake and 60 miles from the nearest town, Millinocket.
Amenities include:
• Hand-pumped running water;
• a wood stove;
• gas appliances including a cookstove and refrigerator; and
• solar-powered lights.
Lock Dam is a favorite spot for canoeists traveling the waterway, anglers, and those who are looking for a quiet retreat from the modern world.
To learn more about the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and access the 2021 application, visit maine.gov. Or contact Matt LaRoche, the waterway superintendent and Registered Maine Guide, at 207-695-2169, matt.laroche@maine.gov.
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