Bettye Foster Baker>
508-696-9983
The imposing Tabernacle, in the center of the Camp Ground, surrounded by tiny whimsical fairy-tale cottages, with their porches dressed in colorful Chinese and Japanese lanterns is about to take center stage. Illumination Night is next Wednesday and the Camp Ground is buzzing in preparation.
Did you know that the idea of holding religious camp meetings began in Kentucky, my birth state, prior to 1820, introduced by the Presbyterians with the Baptists and Methodists? Shortly after, the Methodists introduced the religious camp ground in New England, the forerunner of our very own 19th century Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association in Oak Bluffs. The first meeting was held at West Chop in 1827. At that time Oak Bluffs was part of Edgartown. Rev. John (Reformation John) Adams was responsible for this first camp meeting, but it was Jeremiah Pease, a staunch supporter of Reverend Adams who began the MVCMA.
There is little similarity between the first Camp Ground near the northern section of Edgartown, and the one you see today off Circuit avenue in Oak Bluffs. The original site bordered a sheep pasture near a fresh water pond. Early meetings were temporary, held at different sites, usually lasting about a week. We’re told that the living conditions were primitive. People slept in tents and spread straw on the ground or on a hard board and covered themselves with a blanket. The food was prepared a week in advance. Whatever the worshipers needed they brought with them, and took home everything when they left. By the middle of the 19th century, the camp meetings were held in the same location.
Once on the Island, people moved about in horse-drawn carts, the first railroad. That was in 1873. Today, if you look carefully in front of the Association office building, you may see pieces of track, from this first mass transit system. Those enterprising Vineyarders built a steam-propelled railroad the next year which connected Oak Bluffs to Edgartown and Katama, and 21 years later in 1895 an electric railway was built from Vineyard Haven to Oak Bluffs. All are gone.
The first Illumination night, called Governor’s Day, was sponsored by the Oak Bluffs Land and Wharf Company, which developed the resort area in what is now the Copeland District. It was Jeremiah Pease who lighted the first candle for the evening meeting. On that night, the religious and secular people came together without contention. Now on Illumination Night, when the Tabernacle stands surrounded by cottage owners who still try to out-do each other, it will be difficult to imagine a circle of tents around a lectern, in an open field and close by, a railway system that ran down the edge of the sea to carry visitors. But that’s the way it was and it is our appreciation of that history that provides a fascinating perspective on this celebration we wait all summer to enjoy.
It was a pleasure to meet and welcome the 10th president of Morehouse College from Atlanta, Ga., Rev. Dr. Robert Michael Franklin Jr. and his wife, Dr. Cheryl Franklin, on Sunday at Union Chapel. His sermon, By Invitation Only, was a call to include all, not just those considered important.
How delightful it was to welcome on the Island friends of my brother, Dr. Oliver S. Foster of Los Angeles, Calif. whom I met while there in May. They are Sheila C. Murchison, of Los Angeles, her guest, Curtis E. Haynes from Pasadena, Calif., Dr. Marsha Mills, of Palo Verde, Calif; her daughters, Kelly Williams and Dr. Lisa Mills, of Cincinnati, Ohio; and Rochelle Marten Weston and Ira Weston from Brooklyn, N.Y. All have been coming to the Island for many years and know how to have a great time!
There are two new celebrity Polar Bears swimming around in the Sound. In addition to our own Susan Klein, storyteller extraordinaire and co-author of Now and Zen, the Polar Bears inducted two more celebrities: Boston-born Jasmine Guy and Tony McGrath. Ms. Guy is noted for her television work as Whitley Gilbert in A Different Place and Mr. McGrath, the Broadway actor, political folksinger and seasonal Oak Bluffs resident. Congratulations, new bears. We’ll be checking to see if you are swimming bears, exercise bears or bear watchers! There are several species you know.
The Tabernacle will be a powerhouse of activity this week, with Grand Illumination night starring. Tonight at 7:30 p.m. is Monster Madness, a children’s musical by Val Cheatham, performed by children living in the Camp Ground community. Free admission. On Saturday, August 14 at 6 p.m., there will be a concert with the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Come dance to the wonderful big band music. Tickets are $25. On Sunday, August 15 at 7 p.m. it’s family movie night, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. All are welcome. Freewill offering. Please bring a nonperishable food donation for the Island Food Pantry.
On Saturday, August 14, from 7 to 9 p.m., Cousen Rose Gallery on Circuit avenue hosts a reception in the courtyard. Professor Charles Ogletree of Harvard Law School will sign his book, Presumption of Guilt. Artist Myrna Morris, will be there showing her acrylic and mixed media paintings.
On Saturday, August 14, there will be an art stroll in the arts district of Oak Bluffs. Michael Hunter and I came to Oak Bluffs around the same time. I loved this “Expect Anything” store from day one because he featured Fiesta china and all that forties and fifties stuff I grew up with. In his own words, “I have voted and paid taxes in Oak Bluffs for going on 15 years, but I was born in Manhattan, which might explain my fascination with the urban landscape.” Stephanie Wolf will be holding a special jewelry trunk show under the tent by her studio. Inspired by the magic of Island life, her creations include vibrant tile mosaics, recycled glass, and shimmering gemstones wrapped in silver. The opening reception at the Alison Shaw Gallery, on Saturday, from 4 to 7 p.m. will feature a book signing for one of the summer’s most anticipated books, Soups and Sides by Cathy Walthers, author of Raising the Salad Bar. Alison and Cathy will be signing books, and some dishes from the cookbook will be available to sample. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 2 to 6 p.m., or by appointment or chance. The Dragonfly Art Gallery will feature the abstract landscapes of Robert Baart, retired professor at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Robert will be available to talk with collectors about his work. His work is in the permanent collections at the DeCordova and Rose art museums. Jeweler Lucinda Sheldon of Lucinda Enamels will have artists in the yard next to her studio. Beldon Radcliffe, printmaker; Jeri Dantzig, glass artist; Nancy Noble Gardner, photographer; and Becky Loescher, author, will be there. Periwinkle Studio will feature Marshall Pratt’s photos, collages and interactive constructions. Island painter Basia Jaworska will feature blues art paintings and prints with Relevant T-Shirts by Gulf artist/musician Nick Branch at the former Red Mannequin.
This Sunday at 7:30 p.m. the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard and the Friends of Oak Bluffs present an evening with jazz legend Ramsey Lewis at the Performing Arts Center at the high school. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. My grandfather’s name was Walter Ramsey Lewis and this legend is not to be missed. You hear music as its best.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (Deltas on the Vineyard) will celebrate their eighth annual gathering on Sunday at the Sailing Camp Park. The luncheon is open to Deltas only. For details, call Rose Edmondson at 508-696-8892.
The Martha’s Vineyard branch of the National Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s signature event, Vineyard Men Who Cook, will be held August 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Sailing Camp. Specialty dishes and desserts will be cooked by Vineyard men. This should be fun. Suggested donation is $25.
The Friends of the Oak Bluffs Council on Aging are hosting a lobster roll sale on Illumination Night; stop by the senior center on Wamsutta avenue to pick up your favorite crustacean meal. Lobster roll, chips, cookie or brownie and drink for $15. Containers of lobster meat can be purchased to enjoy later.
On Tuesday, August 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Let’s Move exhibition will start at 9 a.m. with a barbecue from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The high school boys’ and girls’ varsity tennis vs. Oak Bluffs town officials is scheduled from 1 to 2:30. Round robin starts at 2:30. Karon Wojtkielo, Niantic Park tennis director, needs two ball persons, ages 10 to 12, two line officials, and an umpire. Please e-mail Karon at nianticparkcta@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer. All are invited.
Have a special celebration or event in the works? Guests coming to share the Island experience? E-mail me and tell me all about it. All the best!
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