Could This Historic Property Be The New Home of Apple Tree Arts?

WE NEED YOU!!

As townspeople, we all have a decision to make: should we sell the former town hall at One Grafton Common leaving its future to an unknown fate, or should we instead vote to retain town ownership and explore the opportunity of converting the 2 nd and 3 rd floors to an Arts Center?

Such endeavors have recently been successfully completed in Natick and Framingham. Why not here? Apple Tree Arts has the drive and wherewithal to make this a reality if the town votes to work with us. With your support, we can further enhance the quality of life in Grafton. Please plan on attending the town meeting to show your support for this proposal.

Town Meeting October 15, 2007 at 7:30 in the High School Auditorium

Please check out the following sites. These are local organizations that have recently accomplished what we are trying to do:

http://www.amazingthings.org

http://www.natickarts.org

If you are not a Grafton resident, but would like to help,
please call the Apple Tree Arts office, at 508-839-4286. Thank you!

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Oct 9, 2008: A Letter to the Grafton News Editor, from Donna Blanchard, Executive Director
To the Editor:
For the past 18 years, Apple Tree has served the Grafton community by broadening our non-profit organization’s capacity to offer music lessons, concerts, theater arts programming and early childhood music classes to many Grafton residents. We have sponsored such concerts at as Livingston Taylor, Tom Chapin, and the Claflin Hill Symphony Summer Winds on Grafton Common this summer, produced youth musicals such as 101 Dalmatians and summer youth theater programs, showcased college groups in our A Cappella Nights, made Pizzazz a great family night of entertainment, produced an exciting holiday concert for 250-300 people for the past three years, and supported many youth and faculty musicians who have performed in local businesses and non-profits. Many young families have met other community members for the first time through attending our classes.

We have grown our program through the dedication of people in our town who have believed in our mission to bring arts experiences to our community and have served on our board, faculty and staff and as parent volunteers. We are deeply indebted to two organizations that have rented us space at low cost: the Evangelical Congregational Church and the Town of Grafton Municipal Center. We are extremely grateful to local generous individuals who have supported us.

We could not have been successful without businesses such as Gaudette Insurance and the Grafton Suburban Credit Union. We appreciate the Grafton News for the opportunities they have given us to publicize and grow our musical events.

Apple Tree Arts has now grown to the point where we need a centralized home.

Our compelling vision of 1 Grafton Common centers around the 200-plus seat assembly hall on the second floor. We see the future of 1 Grafton Common, especially the large assembly hall, much like it used to be historically, as a gathering place for the community A working stage would make all the difference in the world to an organization like ours.

We believe the adaptive use of space at 1 Grafton Common would enhance our vital common area, as townspeople from Grafton and surrounding towns would attend live musical and theatrical performances and in turn frequent local businesses. Our after school program for youth musicians and dramatists could flourish if we could renovate the stage and if our faculty could collaborate in the same location. We could produce adult community theater and community chorus concerts. We could increase our variety of music instruction for all ages with sound proof studios. We could welcome local artists to display their works.

We have grown our non-profit through support from greater Grafton area businesses, individuals and foundations. Our funding connections and knowledge of grant writing increase each year. Our board strengthens each year. We are seeking time at this juncture to allow us to work at securing the necessary funding to restore this building for the valuable cultural and historic preservation purposes it embodies. We are committed to the hard work it will take to generate funding.

That is why at the straw poll during the Town Meeting on October 15, it is our hope that people will help us encourage the town to keep this historic building.

Sincerely,

Donna Blanchard, Executive Director
Apple Tree Arts

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Oct 9, 2008: A Letter to the Grafton News Editor, from Paul Scarlett, Board President
To the Editor:
I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of Apple Tree Arts to clarify our organization’s position relative to the town-owned property at One Grafton Common.

Our intent in attending the October 2nd Board of Selectmen’s meeting was to make official, prior to the October 15th town meeting, our interest in partnering with the town to raise the necessary funds for renovation of this property. It is our belief that this historic building, which is directly adjacent to Grafton’s beautiful Common, should remain a town-owned asset.

Our motivation in this is straight-forward, Apple Tree Arts currently has no centralized base of operations, but must instead rent space in several different locations throughout Grafton. If the organization is to continue to flourish and grow, we need a place to call home.

One Grafton Common’s central location is ideal. It has abundant office and classroom space on the second and third floors, which we understand to currently be largely unused. The lack of parking that would pose an issue for most other businesses is not an issue for us since our performances and on site lessons would occur during off hours.

One significant additional item that factors into our interest in leasing space at this site is the 200-plus seat assembly hall on the second floor. With some work, this space could be brought back to its original state and allow us to once again bring music and theater performances to this wonderful building.

Apple Tree Arts’ mission is to enrich the community through the arts, and our presence on the Common would serve to enhance cultural tourism of the area. There are recent examples of very similar endeavors being accomplished in nearby communities. We believe that our organization’s drive and resources, along with support from this community, can make these renovations a reality while retaining town ownership of this historic property.

Sincerely,

Paul A. Scarlett
President, Board of Directors
Apple Tree Arts