Make a Donation in Marian's Memory

Donations to the Marian Nixon Scholarship Fund are welcomed and deeply appreciated. Please note that contributions are not tax-deductible.

Online: PayPal

By mail: Send a check made out to The Smiley Manse with Marian Nixon Scholarship in the memo line to:

The Smiley Manse
485 Cherry Hill
Springfield, Vermont
05156

Apply for a Scholarship

If you've dreamed of attending a retreat at The Smiley but need financial support to make it happen, we'd love to hear from you. All inquiries are handled with care and complete privacy. Reach out to me here: retreats@the-smiley-manse.com

The Marian Nixon Scholarship Fund

Marian Nixon believed in artists. She believed in the quiet ones in the corner, the ones who almost didn't come, the ones who needed someone to pull up a chair and say you belong here. She was that person — at trade shows, in our Advice for Artists community, and here at The Smiley Manse, where she became part of our family.

Marian mailed boxes of art supplies to share with fellow artists she'd never met, because that's who she was. She was glue. She drew people out, made them feel seen, and left every room warmer than she found it.

Marian passed away on May 8, 2026, and her community is coming together to honor her the way she would have wanted — by making space for more artists to experience what she loved so much about The Smiley.

The Marian Nixon Scholarship Fund supports artists who dream of attending a retreat but need a little help getting here. It is a living tribute to a woman whose easy smile and generous heart touched everyone lucky enough to know her.