Location and Transportation

Zea Mays is located in a quiet part of town approximately 1.2 miles from the center of Florence and 2 miles from downtown Northampton and food markets. Having your own car is the most convenient way to get around. The closest airport is Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut. There is a shuttle service, Valley Transporter, that you can use to arrange a ride to and from the airport.

Amtrak trains are available from Boston to Springfield and New York City to Northampton Massachusetts. Peter Pan buses are available from Boston to Northampton.

If you do not plan on bringing your own car, other ways we recommend getting around are:

Taxi: Go Green Cab Company

Bike:

  • There is 1 bicycle at the studio for resident artists to use
  • Valley Bike Share- Access station directly across the street form Zea Mays

Uber/Lyft

Arrival

Arrival time is 4 PM on the first Monday of your residency. Please make arrangements with Sheldon ahead of time if you will be arriving later.

Accommodations at Zea Mays Printmaking

Apartment on 2nd floor of studio with 2 private bedrooms (bed is full XL 54 inches x 80 inches) kitchen, sitting room, bathroom with shower. Heated and air conditioned (individual mini-split units in each bedroom and kitchen)

Provided: linens (including sheets, towels, dish towels) blankets, clothes washer/dryer, laundry soap, fully equipped kitchen, gas stove/oven, drip coffee maker, french press, tea kettle, microwave, cleaning supplies, hair dryer, paper towels, toilet paper

Trash and Recycling

We are committed to recycling and composting. Separate bins are provided for paper, recyclables and compost. Trash and Recycling are picked up once a week by Sheldon on Monday at 12 noon. There are marked bins and a trash can located in the downstairs foyer next to the stairs to deposit all refuse until pickup.

The Studios at Zea Mays Printmaking available to our residency artists

The Annex- private studio for residency artists

  • 24-hour access, 7 days a week
  • Private outdoor entrance
  • Heated and air conditioned
  • Takach etching press – 39.5” x 72” bed
  • Glass topped tables
  • Vertical etching tank with ferric chloride (if requested)
  • Screenprinting board and supplies (if requested)
  • Large rollers (if requested)

The Teaching Studio- open 10am-6pm Tuesday-Friday + 2nd & 4th weekends of each month

Space and equipment must be reserved in advance

  • Heated and air conditioned
  • Etching facility for copper plates in ferric chloride (up to 18” x 24”)
  • Etching facility for zinc and aluminum plates etched in copper sulfate (up to 18” x 24”)
  • Spraybooth and airbrush for acrylic aquatint
  • Vandercook 4 letterpress

Photopolymer Darkroom- open 10am-6pm Tuesday-Friday + 2nd & 4th weekends of each month

Space and equipment must be reserved in advance

  • Nuarc UV light exposure unit (max. plate size 18″ x 24″)
  • Aquatint screens
  • Plate developing facility and equipment
  • Plate Shear and Kuttrimmer

Screen Printing Studio- open 10am-6pm Tuesday-Friday + 2nd & 4th weekends of each month

Space and equipment must be reserved in advance

  • Darkroom with LED exposure unit- largest screen size 27 inches x 34 inches outside dimensions
  • Washout sink and power washer
  • Screen printing table and portable screen presses
  • Large light table

Learning

Individual instruction for any techniques practiced at Zea Mays is available and must be scheduled in advance. There is an additional cost of $75 per hour for private lessons. Please inform us if private lessons are something in which you are interested.

Supplies provided by Zea Mays Printmaking

Press blankets, newsprint, cleaning supplies, rags, etching grounds and strippers, etching mordants (ferric chloride and copper sulfate), screen printing emulsion and stripper, a limited number of silk screens must be reserved in advance (16” x 20”) and (27” x 34”), a selection of rollers and brayers, ink knives.

Supplies the artists must bring

Plates, screens, inks and modifiers, brushes, personal tools (ie. Etching tools, woodcut tools, scissors, knives, tape, etc) International Artists in Residence may have access to some tools and equipment, please inquire.
Artists in Residence may not bring any VOC solvents to Zea Mays and must have other chemistry approved in advance.

Materials that can be purchased at Zea Mays Printmaking

Selected printmaking papers, copper plates, aluminum plates, petg plates, sintra plates, tarletan

During Your Residency

Your residency is your time – you can do with it what you want. If you are working in the Annex (the private studio) and you want total privacy you just keep your door shut. If you want to connect with the community, you are always invited to have lunch or tea in the members’ studio with the members who are working that day. You can also arrange to have an open studio time during your residency to share your work with the studio members.

After Your Residency

  • Check out time from The Annex studio and the apartment is 10 AM on the last Monday of your residency.
  • Keys can be left in your bedroom or on the kitchen table.
  • You are responsible for cleaning up the Annex studio and apartment before you leave.
  • Broom and dustpan are in the studio. Ask if you need other cleaning supplies.