Steve Ewing honored with Creative Living Award

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Sandra Grimes, center, and Edward Miller present the Creative Living Award to Steve Ewing. — Photo by Siobhan Beasley

A standing room only crowd, serenaded by the sounds of bagpipes, packed the Grange Hall on a rainy Thursday night to honor Edgartown poet laureate Steve Ewing with the Creative Living Award.

Past recipients, friends, family, and neighbors came to honor Mr. Ewing’s past and ongoing achievements in poetry, but ended up celebrating much more. Edgartown harbormaster Charlie Blair explained how he could not have done his job for the past 20 years without the help of Steve, a master dock builder. Blair went on to say that Loyal is the name of his boat and “loyal is the word I use when I think about Steve Ewing.” Attorney Ron Rappaport described Steve as an excellent husband, father, conservationist, dock builder, shellfish expert, and salt of the Vineyard, who embodies the spirit of the Island. “Everything he says and does is heartfelt and real,” Mr. Rappaport said. “If it were called ‘Best of the Vineyard” [Steve] probably would have gotten that too.”

Mr. Ewing’s son Niko Ewing, and his wife, Elizabeth Bradley, delighted the crowd with a poem of Mr. Ewing’s, Island Song, put to music.

Steve accepted the award with grace, humility, and humor, leaving the crowd laughing, moved, and even teary at times. He mused, “It’s hard to write poetry, but sometimes they come right to you.… Some of these things, I don’t write them. I just hold the pen.”

Steve shared a poem about his little brother, Scott, who died, as well as a poem inviting President Obama to enjoy the beautiful bounty of the Vineyard.

For the past 32 years, the Ruth J. Bogan – Ruth Redding Memorial Fund has sponsored the Creative Living Award, which recognizes members of the Vineyard community who embody Ruth Bogan’s spirit and love for the Island and who have contributed significantly to the quality of life on the Vineyard. The Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard, which nominates the honorees, is the largest public charity on the Vineyard and supports nonprofits in all areas of Island life.