“A rising tide lifts all boats,” said Harvard Cultural Collaborative board member Mark Mikitarian during a recent conversation with the Press in which he looked back at the collaborative’s progress over the past six months and talked about the group’s plans for the future. He sees the “rising tide” as the collaborative’s increasing presence in town center through a variety of classes, exhibits, and community events. The “boats” that will be lifted are other organizations in town that may join with the collaborative to sponsor programs that will revitalize the town center, a goal of the town’s past two Master Plans. The tide will ebb for a while, probably starting in July for about four months, when the building gets a new ADA-compliant front entrance, and will look more like its original self from 1887.
One impressive sign of progress was evident in the collaborative’s grand opening last September, which drew more than 100 people, coming and going. The board members and other town volunteers had completely transformed the inside of the building. Since signing a contract in August to rent the old library from the town, they had cleaned the entire building and painted the walls a light gray. They furnished spaces with donated furniture. Previously the town had removed the metal “stacks” from the mezzanine, which created a whole new gathering area. Installation of a sink and refrigerator on the ground floor opened up that space to different kinds of classes and events. No one could argue that, for the first time in more than 10 years, the interior of the old library once again complements its impressive exterior. “It’s a beautiful building,” said Mikitarian, “the key to town center.”
No major renovations to the inside are planned for the immediate future, but the collaborative hopes that grants and fundraising can help support interior upgrades to improve the space. While income from classes and events pays for the rent, utilities, insurance, and $500 a month toward accessibility, there is little left over for renovation projects. Volunteers staff the reception desk Tuesday through Saturday during drop-in hours, which are posted on a sign outside the building and on the website harvardculture.org.
The goal: A hub of activity
Mikitarian said the eight-member board is determined to make the building once more a hub of community activity, and members have worked hard to find instructors for classes and to advertise to groups that might want to hold an event. Zumba, kickboxing, mahjong, and African drumming are classes that have been running since the fall. Kids’ art classes filled Saturdays in February into March, and two writing classes, one in memoir and one in fiction, have been meeting since the new year. Recently, a Wednesday morning yoga class started, and a new session of a mindfulness class for stress reduction will begin at the end of March. A number of private parties have used the space, Loose Folk meets for music the second Sunday of the month, and three art openings have drawn crowds. The collaborative has an entertainment license, which allows people to bring and pour their own wine and beer.
Artists Judith Schutzman and Judy Warner pose in front of their artwork at the recent opening of their show “Local Color” at the Harvard Cultural Collaborative. The show continues through April 7. (Courtesy photo)
Board member Willie Wickman continues to network to find more people who will give classes, and she said she has a number of exciting things in the works. People who have attended an event at the collaborative—such as the 75 or more at the reception for the current art exhibit—can attest to the sense of community that exists as people greet friends, meet new people, and engage in conversation.
Seeking collaboration
Looking forward, Mikitarian said HCC wants to be even more collaborative, hosting events with other town and regional organizations. He cited a recent example of such collaboration when the Historical Society held a Christmas 1900 tour of the Common, beginning with hors d’oeuvres at the old library and ending with dinner at Town Hall. He said he sees the collaborative and the General Store playing a huge role in the revitalization of town center. By being collaborative, not competitive, the collaborative can only help with events at the General as it becomes more active itself. Mikitarian foresees such possibilities as a lecture and apple tasting at the collaborative and then cider tasting at the General.
Bromfield seniors Ben Rotker and Greer Jarvis perform at a student-created art and music event organized by fellow Bromfield senior Max Chadran and held at the Cultural Collaborative March 10. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The collaborative will host a weeklong chamber music workshop in June that will follow this collaborative model, Mikitarian said. A grant from a private foundation enables the collaborative to sponsor a number of young professional musicians from around New England who will take classes in different venues around town. Rehearsals will be open to the public and a final performance will be held, most likely at the Unitarian Church. Mikitarian envisions get-togethers at the old library, lunches at the General Store, and rehearsals in Volunteers Hall and private homes around town.
Accessibility has been an issue for the old library since 1990 when the Americans with Disabilities Act went into effect. The building’s original front entrance was moved to the side of the building in 1983 to allow for more interior space, but that left the building difficult to make accessible. While the back door is wheelchair accessible, the slope of the path down to the door is too steep to be compliant. In January 2016, the town appointed an Old Library Accessibility Committee (OLAC) to study options. In November of that year, OLAC recommended restoring the front entrance with an added ramp. Early in 2017, the town made modest improvements to the rear entrance and secured a variance from the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board, in part because it could assure the board that it had a plan in the works to build a fully compliant entrance. The town was then able to seek a tenant.
Money matters
At a November 2017 Special Town Meeting, residents voted to transfer some money remaining from the rear entrance project as well as some Community Preservation Committee funds toward the accessibility project, and to approve a remaining cost of $383,000 to pay for the front entrance. This fall vote allowed the architect to proceed with design plans so that construction could begin in late spring. At this year’s May 8 Town Election, residents will vote on paying that cost with excluded debt. To help offset the cost of construction for an accessible entrance, the town applied for a $225,000 (maximum) grant from Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund. The town will know in June whether it was awarded a grant.
Mikitarian, who served as president of OLAC, said that group is negotiating with the architect on the final design and finalizing a contract. The architect will then help the town with the bidding process. Mikitarian said construction should start in July and will last about four months. When it signed the lease, the collaborative made an agreement with the town that it would vacate the building during construction in order to reduce cost and liability for the town.
During the summer, with things at a bit of a lull while construction moves forward, the collaborative board will have time to do long-range planning. “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and glad for the community support. We want to hear what people want,” said Mikitarian. In anticipation of its reopening in late fall, the board plans to involve residents in renaming the collaborative. Mikitarian said that “Harvard Cultural Collaborative” is too long and doesn’t connect with a place; also, other organizations in town have the same acronym, HCC. The board will also plan future programs, with collaboration as its main goal, said Mikitarian, adding that the more they can plan events that raise all boats, the more successful they will have been in their goal to make town center a vibrant gathering place once more.
