“I think people come to Featherstone to learn a craft or see art, and yet they leave finding a community,” says Executive Director and CEO Ann Smith. Featherstone Center for the Arts has, in fact, been a major contributor to the Vineyard’s arts offerings for 30 years.
It all began in 1996, when Meetinghouse Center for the Arts came to life; a small group of artists and art enthusiasts purchased 6.5 acres of Featherstone Farm from Mary Stevens and her family. The very first gallery shows took place in the horse barn stalls while various buildings on the property were renovated to create an arts center.
“From the beginning, they wanted a multi-arts organization,” says Smith. Over the next decade, the farm buildings were converted into studios for painting, drawing, printmaking, weaving, pottery, stained glass, woodworking, and photography. Offices, classrooms, and galleries were retrofitted from existing structures, and the fields and paddocks were transformed into spaces for exhibits, concerts, a weekly flea market, and outdoor events of all sorts, including the ever-popular Musical Mondays.
In 2002, Meetinghouse for the Arts officially changed its name to Featherstone Center for the Arts to honor the horse farm location. The organization has continued to grow over the decades. Key milestones include the first poetry reading by former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins in 2007, which preceded the establishment of its thriving Literary Arts program in 2019, led by Mathea Morais. Billy Collins has now visited and regaled the audience with his poetry multiple times, and will return on Sept. 26. Michael Johnson founded the Photographers Salon in 2011, a summer staple where photographers and art enthusiasts gather weekly to hear featured photographers discuss their work, participate in Q and As, and find inspiration.
Ceramicist Debbie Hale, who took her first pottery class at Featherstone and now teaches the medium she adores, reflects on all the arts center offers: “I think Featherstone does such a great job of providing so many different mediums, not just in the world of ceramics. And I love how they support local artists, and host shows that allow people in the early stages of their development to share their work and take pride in it. Not all places do that.”
Artist and instructor Bricque Garber feels similarly: “Featherstone is so welcoming and nonthreatening. It gives you that soft place to fall. You can go into a class where you don’t know how to do anything, and leave with something you adore because you have all this wonderful support from all these creative people.” She continues, “There is nothing like it from the moment you turn up that driveway. You fall into this little, special place. You don’t think of anything else other than you have your hands in the clay or your knitting, or writing, or the jewelry you’re making, or hearing the many special guest speakers.”
Featherstone expanded significantly in 2017, with the opening of its large new pottery studio and the 6,200-square-foot Art Barn, which includes two classrooms, a library conference room, office space, and the gorgeous, light-filled Francine Kelly Gallery, featuring monthly community shows and curated summer exhibitions.
Dedicated to a multidisciplinary arts approach, Featherstone has hosted dance, theater, and chamber music over the years. Smith says, “We have this glorious campus. When we’re not using the stage or gallery, I feel it’s our gift to the community to invite others to connect in our space and create incredible, artful experiences.”
She also feels strongly about Featherstone’s youth programs, saying, “I think the children are the future and the vitality of our community.” Although there had previously been programming, it was under Smith’s mother, Francine Kelly, the first paid executive director, that Featherstone established its wildly popular summer camp in 2006. Artist and instructor Rory Valentine, who teaches both adults and campers today, speaks of working with the youth: “These are my people. Offering all sorts of ways to create joy is the center of it for me as a creative person.”
In 2008, students from MVRHS began a tradition of displaying their work in gallery shows, thanks to a partnership between the arts department and Featherstone. The gallery also serves as a learning environment for visiting Charter School students. And in 2022, during the pandemic, Garden Gate Child Development Center, which had long maintained a relationship with Featherstone, relocated to the organization’s campus and now thrives with its arts- and nature-based curriculum.
Debbi Alves, Featherstone board chair, reflects on the board’s dedication to Featherstone’s strategic plan for the next 30 years, which directly relates to young people: “Our future is bright because we are focused on enriching our children’s arts education offerings. And we want to expand our children’s campus. After all, watching the kids explore the grounds and enjoy being in the gallery and painting — that’s Featherstone.”
Smith says, “I love our multigenerational communal aspect, with grandparents coming to pick up their kids and walking through the gallery and talking about art. And then there are the seniors from the Center for Living who come and have ‘artmaking’ and ‘art-viewing’ experiences. That’s why we’re here; to collectively appreciate what the arts have to offer.”
Valentine agrees, “Art is for everyone here. There are so many different, dynamic, and accessible entry points for people. And Featherstone really offers an opportunity for everyone on the Island to come together, share space, and be creative. Engaging in the creative act while in community is just vital.”
Smith speaks to the importance of everyone who contributes to the organization’s collaborative and shared purpose: “Featherstone is nothing without the instructors, the administrative team, the strong board, and the students and patrons who come here. It is all about people. We are fortunate to have this beautiful campus, but if we don’t have excellent instructors, programming, and a strategic vision, we won’t want to be here for the next 30 years. It’s about keeping our pulse on the community and understanding what they want, and we can continue to meet their needs best — to create belonging and personal growth.”
Featherstone Center for the Arts is open daily from noon to 4 pm. To learn more, visit featherstoneart.org. Visit the campus during the 30th Anniversary Open House on June 28 from 1 to 4 pm.