For centuries, Cape May operated primarily as a whaling village, although it was also considered one of the country’s first-ever vacation resort towns. Today, the entire city is a protected National Historic Landmark for its unique concentration of authentic, ornate Victorian houses. Cape May’s beaches are peaceful, pristine, and alive with biodiversity, a rare untouched marvel of the Jersey shoreline. The area is famous for many unique natural phenomena, like swarms of migrating butterflies, birds, and horseshoe crabs, and the Cape May “diamonds” that sparkle in the sand at Sunset Beach. The town is also known for its rich culture, with several local music and film festivals, theater companies, and a thriving farm-to-table agricultural and culinary movement.

cape may

Convent Arts is housed in a remarkable building which has served, at turns, as a center of natural sciences, of religion, and of historic humanitarian impact. Once the site of a refuge along the Underground Railroad, the building was converted into a Victorian hotel in the late nineteenth century. To this day, the hotel’s classic design remains largely unaltered. In 1909, the building became “Saint Mary’s by the Sea,” a summer retreat for the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The Sisters maintained the beautiful seaside grounds for over a century, except for a brief period during WWII when the retreat was taken over by the US Army to house hundreds of soldiers. Today, the retreat has been converted into a center for ecological research. Located between the shore and an expansive bird observatory, the Center sits in one of the most vital and bio-diverse regions of the globe. It is a stopping point for the world’s biggest butterfly migration – monarch butterflies flood the grounds during the summer months – a critical habitat for marine life, a year-round lookout spot for whales, and one of the best places in the country to spot migratory and predatory birds like owls and eagles. The Center now welcomes aspiring artists to participate in the rare historical, spiritual, and biological wonder of Cape May Point, working from the seaside rooms which have housed hotel-goers, soldiers, nuns, and scientists alike. 

Cape may point science center

Convent Arts Fellowship accommodations are spartan, clean, and simple. Private rooms, which include a bed, desk, and dresser, are awarded to every fellow. Bathrooms and showers are shared. Bed and bath linens as well as beach towels will be provided. We want to emphasize that the Cape May Point Science Center is a historic building without luxury amenities. While you will be comfortable, please understand that this is a not a high-end hotel. In other words, there is not central air conditioning. The sea breeze, though, is rather extraordinary.

Fellows are welcome to work in their rooms, in any of the first-come-first-serve private writing rooms, and in communal spaces, such as the porches and dining halls.

Breakfast and dinner will be prepared by our kitchen and served on site in the dining hall. Packed lunches will be catered and prepared for “pick up” for fellows to take wherever they wish.

ROOM & BOARD

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