This has been an incredible year for Featherstone Center for the Arts. We have spent this year celebrating our 20th anniversary by recognizing our founding families: the Stevens, Besse, Bowring and Getsinger founding dames as well as our three executive directors: Peggy Pinney, Francine Kelly and Ann Smith. We were honored to receive an amazing gift that will insure Featherstone’s sustainability for years to come. We have showcased some of the most creative families of Martha’s Vineyard. Day in and day out, we continue to do what we do best: offer art classes in several mediums for all ages, provide musical experiences including Musical Mondays, Thursday Night Jazz and our Featherstone Uke Jam, allow artists the opportunity to thrive by showcasing their artwork at our Tuesday Flea & Fine Arts Markets and art exhibitions, feature world-renowned poets and collaborate with great organizations, businesses and people around the Island.

In celebration of our 20th year, Sunday, August 28 we held our 20th birthday party featuring the wonderfully talented Daytrippers who generously offered a two-hour concert at no fee, two opening receptions that showcased artwork from our Island artists and a delicious birthday cake made by Liz Kane from Cakes by Liz. It was a wonderful afternoon for our entire community.

On behalf of everyone at Featherstone — our board, advisory council and staff — we thank you for supporting Featherstone by visiting our gallery, taking a class, attending an event, making a donation, purchasing a work of art, volunteering in our gallery, sharing your story and introducing someone new to us.

If you have never come to Featherstone, we would like to personally invite you to drive up the hill and visit us. We are here year round, offering excellent programs, activities and experiences 12 months of the year.

Thanks to you, we look forward to creating community through the arts for the next 20 years.

Ann Smith
Oak Bluffs

The writer is executive director of Featherstone Center for the Arts.