Maintaining the spirit of the Fine Arts Work Center through the Renovation of its Public Spaces

“In 1899, painter Charles W. Hawthorne left Long Island for Massachusetts, where he went east until he hit the Atlantic. In the fishing village of Provincetown, he founded the Cape Cod School of Art—the first school devoted to teaching figure painting en plein air. Some sixty years after Hawthorne’s arrival, a group of working artists and writers—poet Stanley Kunitz and abstract expressionist painter Robert Motherwell among them—established the Fine Arts Work Center as a nurturing beacon for creative types in the early stages of their careers. The Center brought them to Provincetown and gave them space, whether their needs involved an extended residency or a brief workshop or performance.”

Since breaking ground on the newly renovated spaces at 24 Pearl Street, we have continued the tradition of hosting live readings and artists talks in the Stanley Kunitz Common Room and exhibitions in the Hudson D. Walker Gallery. The innovative work by Flansburgh Architects allows us to celebrate the rich history of the Fine Arts Work Center and carry forward our legacy for years to come. The renovation is also making room for new community gatherings like our free, multidisciplinary FAWC Friday series.

Continue reading “Flansburgh Architects maintains the spirit and historic charm of the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown” by writer Jesse Dorris published in The Architect’s Newsletter on July 21, 2023.