THE VISUAL AND LITERARY ARTS, IN COMMUNITY.
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
In the early days one of our founders, Jim Forsberg, called the Fine
Arts Work Center an "adventure in hopefulness." This has become my
favorite way of thinking about the Work Center. 2008 was our 40th year,
and we lived up to Forsberg's vision. It was an exciting and remarkable
year, full of promise that we are launched on 40 more.
Our Fellowship program, for which we are
renowned, remains at the heart of our mission.
Since 1968 we have given 819 Fellowships.
Year after year, Fellows describe their seven
months at the Work Center as "life-changing,"
giving them the courage and the confidence
to dedicate their lives to art and literature.
We cherish this legacy.
Our Summer Workshop and MFA programs
have been the catalyst for artistic growth for
hundreds of other emerging artists and writers.
And everything we do adds to the vitality of
Provincetown as an historic arts community
– another dimension of hopefulness that has
been central to our mission from Day One.
The most newsworthy story of the past year are
the accomplishments of our Fellows. Former
Writing Fellows received many awards, including
some of the most prestigious prizes in American
letters. Younger Writing Fellows saw publication
of their fi rst books. Visual Arts Fellows won
coveted grants in recognition of their excellence.
Several participated in high-calibre group shows
at top venues, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
"High-quality" in all of our programs is the
accolade given to us by the Massachusetts
Cultural Council.
In renewing our funding this
fall, the MCC rated us "5" out of "5" for "Quality."
("5" = "Exemplary") We were honored to receive
first-time grants from The Pollock-Krasner
Foundation and the Renate, Hans and Maria
Hofmann Trust. On the financial front, we did the
never-done-before at the Fine Arts Work Center,
with the generous help of our many faithful
friends: We ended the year in the black.
We head into 2009 getting ready for the final
phase of our construction project – renovation of
the 100-year-old main building of the old Days
Lumberyard, which houses our administrative
and program offices below the second-floor
artists' studios. Preservation of the historic
studios is key to the project. This is where many
of the most revered figures in Provincetown
arts worked and taught, including Ross Moffett,
Edwin Dickinson and Hans Hofmann. We are
close to topping off our capital campaign to pay
for the renovation. Work will start in October '09.
Given the global fi nancial crisis, we are braced
for diffi cult times, but we are fl ourishing in these
endeavors. We believe in the Work Center and
the importance of the arts in our community,
society and civilization. With your belief in us and
our mission, we will continue the adventure in
hopefulness we celebrate in this, our 40th year.
Many, many thanks for your generous support.
Margaret Murphy
"It is astonishing to think that there's a place on
earth like the Fine Arts Work Center. In a world
motivated by profi t margins, cynicism, and chaos,
there's this little oasis at the tip of Cape Cod where
people still care about art, and where generous
people give fi nancial support to total strangers."
— Amanda Rea, 2007-08 Writing Fellow
