Allen Ellenzweig, Visiting Artist Lecture 1977

Allen Ellenzweig gives a lecture talking about the early founding of Skowhegan by focusing on the career, work and life trajectories of Henry Varnum Poor, Sidney Simon, and Willard–Bill–Cummings. Ellenzweig talks about their different early creative projects, including making art work to raise awareness about the War, how they all became friends, and the decision to eventually start Skowhegan. Ellenzweig says that the founders were inspired by Walt Whitman to instill the school with its current philosophies of utopian, socialist notions. Ellenzweig then mentions how Henry Varnum Poor wrote a statement for the school and how the first students to come were also coming from the recent World War II that had just ended. Ellenzweig also states how the initial budget of the school consisted of only 30 thousand dollars, with the first class making up 38 students and the first three studios being in chicken coops.