Featherstone Center For the Arts

Featherstone is a lovely nonprofit arts center located in a few old buildings on a former horse farm right in the middle of the island. Established in 1996, Featherstone has quickly found its footing as a resource for classes, exhibitions, musical events, poetry readings, community events and opportunities to purchase artwork by island artists.
There are classes for children and adults that include ceramics, printmaking, photography, creative writing, oil painting and more. Some of the classes are one time only and others last for several weeks. Take your pick.
Special events include a chocolate festival and a Christmas shopping opportunity. Poetry readings in the summer have become amazingly great, with nationally known poets like Billy Collins and Jorie Graham. (Note that the island poets also show up and read their poems.)
There is also a flea market every Tuesday throughout the summer, and some fabulous Musical Mondays when you can listen to the local musicians who are surprisingly talented. You stretch out on the lawn, swat away at the island’s vast and hungry mosquito population and listen to bluegrass, jazz or folk music performed by your island neighbors. It’s easy going and relaxed.
Free classes for teenagers after school are especially exciting. Featherstone is not far away from the High School and the Y, making car pooling a snap, but island teens are also used to hitch hiking if they have no car.
Some of the instructors are much better than others, but that is the case at any small arts organization like this. Just do your research and find out more about the teacher, as you would do for any class, right?
It’s nice to see Featherstone flourishing in a gentle and creative way here on the island.