Autumn 2008
Community Destination: The Art of the Possible
With youth in mind, Morrisville rallies to build a bustling arts haven
By Nancy Humphrey Case
Photographed by Orah Moore
Joanne Harrison didn't know the first thing about how to start a nonprofit. She only knew that a community arts program — one that made participation in the arts accessible to everyone, especially young people — would be a boon to Morrisville. She'd had a long career as an educator and her heart went out to the kids hanging out on street corners, aimless and disconnected. So in 1999, when the town held a forum to identify what people wanted for their community, Harrison found herself drawn into the process.
As consensus evolved, it became clear that the idea of arts programming for the community enjoyed a broad base of support. Before the end of the day, a nucleus of people had formed to start a community arts group.
"None of us knew what that meant or how to do it," Harrison says. "But we were committed."
The group learned as they went along, coached by resource people like Janet Ressler of the Vermont Arts Council, facilitator Paul Markowitz (whom the town retained for one year), and mentors from arts organizations throughout the state.
Gradually, the Morrisville group drew firmer lines to define themselves. They extended their geographic range to include all of Lamoille County, set up a board of directors, and adopted the name River Arts.
In 2000, River Arts offered its first workshops and held a community music festival. The group also solicited donations from townspeople and received $4,220. Board members attended classes on how to track finances, how to write grants and how to build a better board.
Over the next several years, as grant money flowed in, they hired staff and added a creative mix of programs: fashion design for teens, video animation for middle school kids, storytelling with creative movement for preschoolers, flower arranging for adults, watercolor for elders, and so on.
By 2005, programs were in high gear, but River Arts still operated out of makeshift quarters donated by businesses and the town, holding classes at schools, senior centers and other public spaces. When they learned the old Grange building in the heart of town was for sale, they mobilized.
The classic wooden structure built in 1847 had a rich history as the town's first high school. It also had an upstairs hall that was ideal for performances and dance classes, and it had ample parking. But the paint was peeling and the sills were rotting, among other things. Could the budding arts organization afford to take on a $750,000 renovation?
Encouraged by the Preservation Trust of Vermont, and advised that grant money was available from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, River Arts bought the building in December 2005 for $40,000. The money came from the conservation board, which also volunteered another $30,000 toward renovation costs.
The Preservation Trust of Vermont, enthused about the prospect of restoring a rare two-story, interior-stair schoolhouse, approved another $35,000. Eventually grant money from various sources would total $165,000. By March 2008, more than 300 individuals made or pledged gifts totaling over $500,000. Businesses donated materials and contractors supplied other goods at cost.
Dawn Andrews, a River Arts board member with expertise in historic preservation, coordinated the transformation of the decaying structure. Meanwhile, Executive Director Steve Ames formed partnerships with other groups such as Head Start, Lamoille County Court Diversion and area public schools. Instead of competing with other arts groups in the area, he looked for ways to collaborate with or complement them.
"It really fills a niche in the community," says Dov Schiller, an instructor at the center. "These kids don't get anything like it — in school or at home."
To make the arts accessible to everyone, River Arts subsidizes tuition and gives scholarships. One hip-hop class, for example, cost the organization $175 per student, but participants paid only $55.
While the newly restored building provides space for an expanding array of classes, the number of participants is nearing 5,000 per year, and the organization has contributed an estimated $1.5 million to the local economy since its inception. And River Arts as an idea crops up in unexpected places and forms: a skateboarding camp in Johnson paired with street art; open mic poetry at the Lamoille Senior Center; a bus trip to Dartmouth's Hood Museum shared by senior citizens and high school seniors.
"The theme is arts," Harrison says. "But it's all about community."
If you go
- What: River Arts
- Where: 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville
- Motto: "Arts for Everyone"
- Information: www.riverartsvt.org or (802) 888-1261
