Included in: Brattleboro Reformer
A year of creativity: The arts community in a nutshell (or two)
Photo provided by Main Street Arts Main Street Arts, in collaboration with the Town of Rockingham and numerous regional businesses and institutions, unveiled its first full-stage musical in decades last spring to appear at the Bellows Falls Opera House, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," directed by David Stern.
Posted Wednesday, December 27, 2017 3:24 pm
By Cicely M. Eastman Brattleboro Reformer
BRATTLEBORO — 2017 was another year of creative new spaces and bold productions. New state-of-the-art venues and mind-provoking theatrical performances once again enhanced an already vibrant arts community.
The Stone Church on Main Street underwent a makeover in renovations to improve the acoustics and revamp the church's image. Owner Robin Johnson created the new performance space using as much of the historic buildings' original materials as possible, outfitting the venue with a bar, with an end purpose to attract more well-known musicians to the area.
The building of the new contemporary trapezium heard around the world for the New England Center for Circus Arts opened early last summer. Having outgrown its Cotton Mill location, NECCA's new facility offers endless possibilities for drawing international circus festivals to town, providing even more of an economic boon to Brattleboro.
The Brattleboro Music Center also outgrew its facility on Walnut Street, finally realizing a long-held dream for a home of its own. The new BMC campus at 72 Blanche Moyse Way, off of Guilford Street and across from the Living Memorial Park, has ample space for student and faculty recitals, two multi-use classrooms, a music library and 12 teaching studios, a studio for percussion and high-quality acoustics and soundproofing throughout.
The new Ad Hoc Art Gallery at 23 Canal St., Bellows Falls filled a need for a stand-alone art gallery in town. As economic development director for the Town of Rockingham in 2016, Emmett S. Dunbar got the idea after talking with area artists. Artists Garrison Buxton and MC Noyes and Dunbar worked together for a centralized location to create and share art with the community. Noyes said, "Being part of a brick and mortar gallery has brought great energy to my work and online sales."