Jhumpa Lahiri

Although it's always wonderful to welcome back former Fellows and students, it was particularly nice to have Jhumpa Lahiri return and read shortly after she won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction last year. Former Fellow Denis Johnson also returned to do a staged reading of a new play, and Filmmaker Alison Maclean was on hand to show her film "Jesus' Son," based on Denis' novel.

Other recent winter Visiting Artists and Writers included Daniel Joseph Martinez, Michael Collier, Thomas Sayers Ellis, Gail Mazur, Michael Burkard, Heidi Julavits, Nayland Blake and Paul Ha. You can browse through past calendars in our "Events" area.

Provincetown isn't the only place where the Work Center sponsors readings. Recently, the flagship Barnes & Noble store in Manhattan was the site of a reading to honor Alan Dugan upon the publication of Poems Seven (Seven Stories Press). Reading to a crowd of more than 300 people were Dugan, Nick Flynn, Mark Doty, Lynn Sharon Schwartz and Yusef Komunyakaa.

The Work Center was happy to play host to the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Slide Showcase of artwork sent in by artists applying for recent MCC grants. More than five thousand slides were shown during a day-long marathon session in the Stanley Kunitz Common Room.

As part of last year's Provincetown Film Festival, the Work Center sponsored a panel on Film Adaptation. Noted authors Michael Cunningham, Norman Mailer, Susanna Kaysen and James Lecesne were on hand to talk about adapting written work to film.

A standing-room-only crowd turned out to hear writer and naturalist Annie Dillard read at FAWC during the Fall Arts Festival. The Hudson D. Walker Gallery also celebrated the Festival with an exhibition of portraits selected from the Town of Provincetown Art Collection, curated by painter Selina Trieff.

Inspired in part by Robert Pinsky's Favorite Poems Project, FAWC hosted a Favorite Paintings Forum. Painters were asked to talk about their favorite paintings by artists other than themselves. Participants included Gregory Amenoff, Susan Baker, James Esber, Jane Fine, Michael Mazur, Catherine Murphy, Jim Peters, Mira Schor, Duane Slick and Helen Miranda Wilson. Art critic Ann Wilson-Lloyd was on hand to moderate the evening.

Former Fellow and Writing Committee Chair Roger Skillings celebrated the recent publication of his new novel How Many Die (University Presses of New England) at a booksigning in the Hudson D. Walker Gallery. All proceeds from the event benefited the Provincetown AIDS Support Group.

BENEFITS & AUCTION

Clocks for the Auction

The Work Center is fortunate to have so many friends who gladly help out at benefits. Board member Nancy Rosenblum opened her home for the Spring Boston Benefit to honor recent publications by those associated with the Work Center. Honorees included Susan Baker, Amy Bloom, Mark Doty, Nick Flynn, Marcie Hershman, Cleopatra Mathis, Gail Mazur, David Rivard, Heidi Jon Schmidt, and Roger Skillings. Writing Committee Members Grace Paley and Michael Cunningham read at a fundraiser on Riverside Drive in New York.

And of course, the Auction! Last year's FAWC Auction was the most successful ever. Board member Judith Shahn again coordinated the Artists' Project -- most recently, artist-decorated clocks. Board member Mike Mazur coordinated the Monoprint Project, and board member Hatty Walker Fitts oversaw the whole event. As usual, Skinner auctioneer Stephen Fletcher was on hand to make sure the crowd was as generous as possible. Samples of the work sold at the auction are available on the website.

IN THE PRESS

The Work Center has been creating new alliances with organizations and strengthening established ties. We were happy to once again welcome an artist and writer from the Ohio State Arts Council, this year visual artist Bonnie Dolin and poet Major Ragain. For the third consecutive year, the Maryland College, Institute of Art sent us a visual artist, Jessica Damen in 2001, for a two-month residency. Former Maryland College resident Emily Tellez had a wonderful exhibition in the gallery this past June.

The Copley Society of Boston sent their first resident, Suzanne Ulrich, who was here for a month in the fall of 2001. The Work Center has also been working with the Gaea Foundation which selects artists, writers and musicians for a residency program on their property in Provincetown. Recent Gaea Foundation residents have included: Kengmo, Jennifer Nelson, Jamie Grant and Biljana Kasic.

ENDOWMENTS, RENOVATIONS, & IMPROVEMENTS

Named Space Sign

The effort to name a studio in memory of James Hansen is complete, with the goal of $25,000 nearly realized. Works donated by scores of artists and Jimmy's family have been sold, and one of the studios at 24 Pearl Street has been named in his honor. All endowed spaces and fellowships are listed in our "About" area.

Last year's Take-A-Seat in the Stanley Kunitz Common Room campaign was very successful, with generous donors contributing $100 each to pay for new chairs to replace the metal folding chairs and for other renovations in the Stanley Kunitz Common Room. Due to the popularity of that campaign, we began the New Day for the Days' Lumberyard Campaign.

As part of the Work Center's ongoing Capital Campaign, building improvements abound. In the past year we have renovated the Motherwell Barn, replaced roofs, upgraded computer systems and performed other improvements. Under the supervision of Buildings and Grounds Manager Dan Towler, it remains our goal to catch up on all deferred maintenance by the end of 2002.

THE FAWC STAFF

Without a staff of qualified and dedicated employees, most of whom are artists and writers in their own right, the Work Center could not exist. For four years now, poet and visual artist Melanie Braverman has served as Programs Administrator, overseeing the smooth operation of all programs. Melanie's visual work is often exhibited at the Schoolhouse Center for Art and Design in Provincetown.

Justin & Maryalice

We were happy this year to welcome Justin Tussing as Writing Coordinator of the Winter Fellowship Program. Justin, a Writing Fellow in 2000, filled the position vacated by Nick Flynn, who recently won the Amy Lowell Award and will be traveling overseas. Justin joins Visual Arts Coordinator Maryalice Johnston, who not only assists the Visual Arts Fellows in the Winter, but has also worked as a visual assistant in the Summer Program.

Other Summer Program staff include visual artist (and former Fellow) Kimberley Hart, visual artist Thad Simerly, Sam Yarborough, poet Robert Strong and writer Sara London, who has worked in the Summer Program every year since its inception. We have received countless hours of help from others including poet Genine Lentine, former Fellow and visual artist Mary Jane Dean, former Fellow and poet Mark Wunderlich and visual artist Connie Tavanis. Volunteers Alex MacClennan and Drew Zandonella-Stannard also provided immeasurable help. Contact Melanie Braverman if you are interested in voluneer or internship opportunities

We were sorry to say goodbye to Office Manager Mark Cronin who moved back to Boston, but we were happy to welcome Amy O'Hara as the new Office Manager. Not only has Amy worked as the office manager of a small press, she is also an accomplished chef. Poet Lynn Stanley has been working on development, writing some of the best grant applications around. Poet Liz Bradfield continues to manage the website and serves as our in-house graphic designer. Writer and photographer Dorothy Antczak has not only worked with every program at FAWC, but continues to manage and oversee the fast-paced schedule of summer exhibitions in the Hudson D. Walker Gallery.

Read about all the FAWC staff.