We're Turning 20 Years Old!
Celebrate with us!
For twenty years Artistree has been providing arts experiences for the Upper Valley community. What began as a small music and art center for young families in Woodstock village...has grown into an exciting and lively hub for performing and visual arts for all ages!
In celebration of our journey as an organization we're hosting a benefit gala on Saturday, August 26, 2023!
This fundraiser will support Artistree’s visual and performing arts programs, scholarships for all ages, and outreach classes at K-12 schools, community organizations, and social services like The Special Needs Support Center and The Family Place.
Read on for details!
The Artistree Story
Did you know that Artistree first launched as "Purple Crayon Productions?" Purple Crayon Productions was founded in 2003 to give young children and their caregivers opportunities to meet, connect with one another, and build relationships through art classes and music programs. The nonprofit was first located on Central Street in the heart of Woodstock village where founder Kathleen Dolan offered weekly and drop-in arts and music classes for toddlers.
Responding to community needs, Purple Crayon moved to a more accessible space in the Mt. Tom building on Route 12 and began offering after school art classes for area children. Expanding even further, Purple Crayon grew its staff and added teen and adult classes, outreach programs for seniors & special needs populations, and an exhibit gallery space. In so doing, Artistree Community Arts Center was formed as an umbrella organization for programming, events, exhibits, and Purple Crayon’s early childhood classes.
In 2013, the ever-growing demand for community arts and dedicated arts spaces ignited a search for a new Artistree home. Artistree began the renovation of an 1891 South Pomfret dairy barn and farmhouse in 2014, and the organization moved into its new facility that fall.
In 2017 Artistree opened an 80-seat state-of-the-art theater in the historic Teago Grange building. Today, the Artistree campus consists of art studios, a stunning Hayloft performance space, the farmhouse Artistree Gallery, The Grange Theatre, an outdoor pavilion and performance space, and thirty acres of fields and forest that provide opportunities for exploring the rich connections between art and nature.
Artistree now brings visual and performing arts to participants throughout the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire. Artistree draws audience members and gallery visitors from as far away as Burlington, VT and Manchester, NH. Concerts and theater performances are well-attended by out-of-state visitors. Artistree's visual artists, musicians, actors, chefs, and other creatives come from near and far to share their talents and passions with the community. Over 3000 individuals from the Upper Valley and Central Vermont participate in Artistree classes, camps, exhibits, concerts, performances, and community outreach programs. Through us, young families, retirees, working professionals, children, and teens pursue their creative dreams and engage in the artistic life of the community.
Join us to celebrate Artistree’s rich story at an unforgettable party you won’t want to miss!
Our tented benefit will include cocktails, a delicious small plates dinner with a wide variety of cuisines from Christophe Catering, musical entertainment, an anniversary program, and silent and live auctions. We’ll cap the evening with lots of dancing to a live band! In addition, all gala guests are warmly invited to arrive early and preview acclaimed fine arts painter William "Wimby" B. Hoyt’s solo exhibition prior to its public opening in the Artistree Gallery.
We have some amazing silent and live auction items waiting for you. Dress for a garden party on the lawn and enjoy the beauty of a summer evening soiree! We look forward to seeing you all there for a night of laughter, joy, celebration and giving!
