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Creative Director Holly Boardman, board members Lin Stone and Charles Norris Brown gather at the Shelburne Art Center event held at Shelburne Vineyards.

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by Danielle Frawley

The Shelburne Art Center (SAC) hosted a lovely evening at the Shelburne Vineyards last Friday, June 18, to raise money for its art education and resident artist's programs and to raise awareness about its "New Legacy" initiative. The center raised $5,000 and Creative Director Holly Boardman announced that the art center intends to develop greener, sustainable buildings and craft studio energy efficiencies. The center is in the early stages of researching options to rebuild the current buildings to be better able to reduce, reuse, and recycle energy and materials.

"It is time to become responsible, sustainable, and green," said Boardman. "Additionally, we want to let everyone know we believe in what Aileen Webb [founding member of the Shelburne Craft School] believed in for the craft school."

On Friday evening, Julie Edwards from Shelburne Farms spoke about Webb's passion for arts and crafts. Webb intended to have the craft school work with artisans and to help them to make a living in fine arts and crafts.

"The whole premise for what this school was created to do was to teach people life skills and to create an opportunity for them to make a livelihood at it," said Boardman. In order to acknowledge this commitment to the craft school's educational mission and to artisans' sustainable livelihoods, the Shelburne Art Center will "return to its roots" and recommence use of its former name, the Shelburne Craft School.

The organization's plan is to fulfill Webb's founding mission and to do so with an eye to a sustainable future: greener buildings and energy efficiency, wasting neither money nor energy. Charles Norris Brown, a drawing instructor and board member, has been meeting with engineers, artisans, and energy experts to research options for the craft school buildings. One of the exciting new ideas is to reuse and recycle heat from kilns used by potters, metalworkers, and glass blowers to help heat the buildings. "It is two [three or four] for the price of one," said Boardman.

Currently, the board is exploring grant money, foundations, and other sources of funding to help launch and support the "New Legacy" initiative. By the fall, Boardman hopes to have secured a solid financial base upon which to rebuild the craft school and to grow a creative and sustainable legacy for the community, for the artisans, and for the students. Boardman said the goal and timeframe is "the sooner the better."

If you are interested in supporting or learning more about the center's New Legacy initiative, please call Holly Boardman creative director at 985-3648 or Stephen Selin, president of the board at 985-0127.