Featherstone Center for the Arts is pleased to announce our partnership with Noepe Center for Literary Arts, and their move to our campus. Please visit the new noepe.org website to view upcoming workshops as well as other poetry and writing offerings at Featherstone.
A note from Justen Ahren, founder Noepe Center for Literary Arts:
Hello Noepe friends and family,
I am writing to tell you the great news—Noepe is back! After three years without a home, we are joining with Featherstone Center for the Arts to create a new place for literary arts on Martha’s Vineyard. Featherstone is the island’s art heart. The beautiful and newly expanded campus will be Noepe’s future. Check out this summer’s craft workshops, and events for our 2019 season and make sure to follow Noepe (@NoepeCenter) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Featherstone always has been a strong partner with us. Since our founding in 2007, Featherstone has helped co-produce the Summer Festival of Poetry, bringing poets Billy Collins, Jorie Graham, Robert Pinsky, Terrance Hayes, Naomi Shihab-Nye, and others to the island. So, I couldn’t have been happier when Featherstone’s Director Ann Smith, and island author Mathea Morais approached me in November to ask about marrying our vibrant literary community with Featherstone’s dynamic visual arts community.
Even though we still are looking to secure a home to revive our residency program, Noepe’s lights are back on. The community of writers we have gathered over the years can again come together for inspiration, support and encouragement.
These past few years I’ve missed the unique ‘family’ that grew at 104 Main Street. As Noepe grew, my world grew. My artist-heart grew. I’m delighted to announce we are growing it again, and am pleased to introduce Mathea Morais, who, as Noepe’s new Director brings energy, curiosity and passion to the position. Meanwhile, I will serve as an advisor.
Noepe at Featherstone continues our legacy of providing writers with opportunities to grow their craft. The importance of Noepe to so many was demonstrated to me by the hundreds of emails I received after our closing, it was made apparent in the sister programs it has spawned—such as former Noepe manager, Sean Murphy’s new Virginia Center for the Literary Arts (if you haven’t, check it out and support it) and finally in Mathea and Ann’s insistence that Noepe be reborn at Featherstone. Life is a creative process. It requires us to surrender, pay attention, and grow. I’ve learned to trust the process. Often what comes bigger, better than I dared to dream. I started Noepe not with an idea, but a vision of a long table with writers seated around sharing a meal and brilliant conversation. From this vision (and subsequent action) Noepe was born. And then each of you contributed your talents, your creativity, your generosity, and it became something truly special. And so, we begin again. I hope you will join us in creating the future.
