COMMUNITY
Ann Smith:
CEO & Executive Director for Featherstone Center for the Arts
By Abby Remer
Ann Smith is the beating heart of Featherstone Center for the Arts, and its magnificent campus in Oak Bluffs. Drive up the bucolic hill and you know you are in a special place, which Smith has helped craft into a vibrant arts center.
In a sense, Smith’s journey to Featherstone began as a child, both through her connection to art and also the Vineyard. “My great-grandfather was one of the first Black Episcopal ministers to preach at Trinity Episcopal Church across from the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority. The Vineyard has been in my family’s blood ever since.”
Smith’s mother, Francine Kelly, started coming as a child in 1951, and later she brought her own family as well, so that Smith grew up spending summers on the Island. “We would make the trek, driving out from Indianapolis for 18 hours and staying from Memorial Day to Labor Day.”
“It was my mom’s dream to retire to Martha’s Vineyard after working as the director of programs at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum,” says Smith. “She came here on March 1, 2003, and on April 1, she was named the executive director of Featherstone. We all laughed that she retired for a month.” In 2007, Kelly asked Smith if she would come assist her. Kelly had good reason since Smith had the perfect background–a combination of arts, education, and business.
Art has been a vital part of Smith’s life since childhood. Given her mother’s illustrious museum career, she explains, “Art and culture were always at the heart of our family. Even when we traveled and moved to other places, the first thing my mom would do to settle us was take us to an art museum. I’ve always felt comfortable with art on the walls and artists around our dining room table.”
Smith double-majored in the history of art and economics at the University of Michigan, with a dream of working as a curator for a corporate art collection, which was popular in the early 1980s. But when the market crashed, corporations started selling off their collections. Smith’s career path wended its way through business, teaching, and finally school administration before Kelly beckoned her to come work at Featherstone. “It was a turning point in my life, and it was wonderful to partner with my mom, my mentor, and share our passion for people and the arts. Then in 2010, I became the executive director, and Mom became director emeritus.” In addition to her 15 years as executive director, Smith became CEO this year, recognizing her expertise, dedication, and steadfastness.
“It’s been a dream. All these years later, I’ve been doing what I really love in a place that I love for a community that I love.” Smith oversees an impressively robust arts organization. She curates the ten community shows a year in which any Islander can participate. Every summer, Smith also works with outside curators of the season’s special exhibitions and monthly installs the work of selected artists in the Feldman Family Artspace located in the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center. Some 1,157 adults this year alone attended the studio art classes, which, among many art expressions, include painting, ceramics, jewelry, fiber arts, and more. And more than 500 children have participated in classes and summer camp so far. There is a thriving literary arts program, which offers workshops and author events. Every summer, you’ll find the weekly Photographer’s Salon, organized by photographer Michael Johnson, that features an artist who presents their work and creative process, followed by a discussion and networking.
The Featherstone campus features the Garden Gate Child Development Center, offering an arts-based early childhood education program for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners. The center utilizes the unique studio environment and creative atmosphere of Featherstone to foster children’s creativity, problem-solving skills, and social development through various art forms.
Hundreds flock to the summer music series, sitting out and enjoying the vibes on the beautiful lawn. Additionally the luscious grounds themselves have extensive walking trails for those seeking a dose of nature.
Smith’s business and administrative background support her ability to keep all the balls in the air. “When you run a community arts center, you need every skill possible, from seeing to payroll and invoices to managing strategic plans and financial goals and being thoughtful about data analysis in terms of planning and efficiency. I also could not do this without an incredibly supportive Board.”
Smith reflects, “Featherstone is an incredible gift to this Island. We are very proud that our shows are free, and it’s amazing to see kids come in with their grandparents and families bring their neighbors, and older adults come with their caregivers. I think it’s important that people gather together here and find this place a haven.”
She continues, “We focus very hard, too, on serving the needs of our Island artists. That includes not only visual artists but also our local musicians and literary artists, ensuring there is a creative outlet for everyone. From the novice to the professional, there are opportunities for people of all ages to see art, purchase it, make art, and find their voice and mental well-being. After food, home, and health, the arts really provide such a strong foundation for a great life.”
For more information about Featherstone Center for the Arts, visit: featherstoneart.org