Bernard Langlais in his workshop circa 1972. Stephen Nichols photo

In 1977, artist Bernard Langlais passed away, leaving his widow, Helen, to maintain their gray-shingled home and outbuildings in Cushing. 

His wooden sculptures still dot the property: a Trojan horse, giraffes, bears and snake carvings line pathways, and life-size sculptures with staircases and viewing platforms that serve as playhouses. 

Helen, who died in 2010, entrusted the collection and 90-acre plot to the Colby College Museum of Art. Thanks to the Kohler Foundation, the museum later became Langlais Art Preserve, now owned and operated by the Georges River Land Trust (GRLT). 

The site recently attracted the attention of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which announced the addition of 19 new affiliate sites to its Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios (HAHS) network. 

HAHS is a coalition of museums that collaborate on preservation, programming and communications. In 2022, a new affiliate category was created to offer broader pathways for venues like outdoor studios, collective workspaces and artist-built environments, enhancing the narrative of American artistic achievement.

The 2025 affiliate class includes sites dedicated to women artists, Asian Americans, Indigenous peoples and self-taught Black artists, with the Langlais Art Preserve being a notable addition.

The Midcoast art preserve joined a cohort of 80 memberships across 31 states. Other Maine members include the Jonathan Fisher Site in Blue Hill, the Monhegan Museum and the Winslow Homer Home in Scarborough. 

“We are excited to welcome a fourth site in Maine to the network,” HAHS Director Valerie Balint said. “This diverse group represents the richness and breadth of place-based art legacy nationwide.” 

The Langlais house is not open to the public but is used as an office, meeting, program space and an occasional residence for staff or visiting artists. Maura McEvoy photo

Captivated by the ephemerality of wood

The affiliate category aims to help sites in their early years, still grappling with how to interpret their spaces best publicly, and those devoted to challenging conventional definitions of art. 

Although members participate in a more rigorous application process, Balint emphasized that both categories work together to allow room for “cross-pollination.” Over time, affiliate members might advance to become full members if they choose.

When Balint met the director of Langlais Art Preserve, Hannah Blunt, at a conference, she knew Bernard’s outdoor sculptures were preserved. However, she did not realize that the historic workshop and barn studio were also preserved, which piqued her curiosity. 

“Mr. Langlais created the type of holistic art environment often associated with individuals not formally trained, and yet, he was,” Balint said. “With purpose and intent, his practice evolved when he moved to rural Maine. When you visit the preserve, you can see how the land influenced his work; it’s still palpable.” 

Aerial view of the Winslow Homer Studio, part of the HAHS membership network, at Prouts Neck in 2010. Courtesy of the Portland Museum of Art

Because each HAHS site is different, so is its path forward. Instead of prescribing a plan, participating in the network promotes peer dialogue intended to help each location flourish. 

The Langlais Art Preserve is home to over a dozen large-scale wooden sculptures along a quarter-mile path through meadows and woodlands overlooking the St. George River. It features an open barn studio and workshop, open seasonally, and an outdoor sculpture garden with access to public trails, allowing visitors to see how the land shaped Langlais’ artistic vision. 

While the site’s focus on artistic preservation and land conservation sets it apart, the HAHS network was motivated to extend membership due to the challenges of preserving wooden sculptures, such as rotting, peeling paint and insect infestations. 

“Membership is rooted in mutual benefit — sites that can benefit from network knowledge and that we, too, are inspired by,” Balint said. “We offer professional workshops and guidance, but it is up to members what they put to use, based on what works best for them as individual sites.” 

Bernard Langlais’ workshop, which displays his tools, selected materials, works in progress and ephemera. Greta Rybus

Preserving Langalais’ creative energy

Preservation is just the starting point. As Balint explained, the real work lies in how each membership site activates under the network’s supervision.

“To truly understand art, you must visit the sites where the artist lived and worked,” Balint said. “To stand in the fields where Langlais walked or on the rocky cliffs outside Homer’s studio gives you a different perspective than simply viewing their work in a museum. When you inhabit these places, you create a dialogue between yourself and the environment that was once crucial to someone else’s life; that is transcendent.” 

In their initial conversations, Balint and Blunt focused on preserving Langlais’ creative energy. They wrestled with questions like: What might preservation look like so that generations of visitors can continue to access Langlais’ workshop and studio — vital entry points into his world? 

“When I think of Bernard, the first word that comes to mind is ‘magic,'” Blunt said. “His fascination with wood as a material was insatiable. You can feel it when you explore his work.” 

The property has changed since Langlais’ time — over 100 outdoor sculptures have dwindled to 13 maintained annually — but Blunt feels the evolution of the space adds to the experience. She claims it evokes a sense of how time, weather, wildlife and stewardship have shaped the landscape.

“Local Girl,” 1968, an homage to Christina Olson, Bernard Langlais’ neighbor and famous model of fellow Cushing artist Andrew Wyeth. The preserve offers young visitors a free “Guide for Young Artists and Naturalists,” a brochure designed by local artist Rachel Alexandrou that includes drawing prompts and plant identification. Greta Rybus photo

“Wood as an artistic material is quite unusual,” Blunt said. “Our approach to conservation makes the preserve so special — it’s not just about maintaining Bernard’s creative spirit and principles but also the natural resources on the site.” 

With 70 acres on the house side and an additional 20 with riverfrontage, Blunt has worked closely with the GRLT team to learn more about the property’s ecological value. 

For example, last spring, an inventory of migratory birds revealed over 36 species, including bobolinks, which are on Maine’s watchlist. The land trust has since partnered with the Grassland Bird Project’s Ag Allies to assess different strategies for protecting their nesting grounds.

This summer, the conservation team will continue rewilding large areas to recreate the vibrant pastures of Langlais’ time. A new sculpture installation along a woodland trail will also open, offering a moderate hike through transitioning balsam fir and white pine habitats.

“We’re planning a series of youth programs and artist workshops that focus on the intersection of nature and creativity,” said Blunt, hinting at plans for next season. “We believe place-based art fosters deep empathy for the environment.” 

The detached two-room studio building is a four-season home base for youth programs and other community art workshops. Greta Rybus

Preparing for an influx of visitors

As part of the HAHS network, Blunt hopes to deepen her knowledge of fundraising, artist residency programs and curatorial practices while connecting with like-minded colleagues. She also recognizes the importance of expanding Langlais Art Preserve’s visibility from a regional to a national stage.

“Preserving the work of artists and the places they worked is equally important,” Blunt said. “There are great stories about Bernard’s reaction when people interacted with or even damaged his work; he often would laugh. Instead of considering art a luxury, he approached the creative process with spontaneity. To capture that in the confines of a gallery would be impossible.” 

The barn studio and workshop will open to the public in June. 

Although the site is staffed inconsistently from October to May, the grounds are open year-round from dusk to dawn, so visitors are welcome to stop by for some winter walks. 

“My favorite time to visit is early spring,” Blunt said. “When the landscape is just starting to green and still saturated with moisture.” 

While appointments aren’t necessary, Blunt may consider a more formal system for private tours should the site’s popularity increase. She encouraged visitors to monitor the website at langlaisartpreserve.org and Instagram @langlaisartpreserve for upcoming event information and hours.