Centrum Information Center

Centrum Needs Your Help

Dear Centrum supporter and arts education advocate:

We urgently need your help.

For 37 years, Centrum has provided tens of thousands of Washington students life changing experiences through arts programs at Fort Worden State Park.  During this time, Centrum has received partial state funding ($170,000 per year) for these programs through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).   Even with the need to reduce Washington's state budget, both Governor Gregoire and the Senate understand the value of Centrum youth programs and have kept Centrum in their respective 2010 and 2011 OSPI budgets.

Unfortunately, Washington's House of Representatives has removed Centrum funding from its version of the budget. The loss of this funding would result not only in the termination of these valuable education programs, but would also seriously threaten Centrum's future as one of Washington's leading cultural institutions.

As well, these programs provide substantial income for the State through additional park fees.  During the last biennium (two year) budget cycle, Centrum paid the State $1.2 million in park fees through its programs.

If you or your children, or someone you know have benefited from Centrum's programs, we ask that you take a couple of minutes to send an email or make a phone call (ideally both) to your Washington House representatives.  It's easy; just follow the links and the steps outlined below.

Thank you for your consideration and for your support.

Sincerely,

John A. MacElwee

Executive Director
Centrum

   1. Link on to  Find Your Legislator (link provided below)
   2. Enter your address or  zip code
   3. Select your representative
   4. Click on email  (you may also want to take down their phone number)
   5. You will need to reconfirm your address or zip code
   6. Enter your contact information
   7. Check if you would like a response (recommended)
   8. Check if you would like to cc other legislators in your district (recommended)
   9. In the subject line please write:
      Please Reinstate Centrum Funding in House Budgets for 2010 and 2011
  10. Type your note in the comment section (sample provided below)

    BIG BONUS: Follow up your email with a phone call

FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR

SUGGESTED NOTE:

Dear Representative (Last Name):

I am writing to ask you to reinstate funding for Centrum's youth programs at Fort Worden State Park in section 511 of the House budgets for 2010 and 2011 as its appears in both the Senate's and Governor's budgets.

For 37 years, Centrum has provided tens of thousands of Washington students "life changing" experiences through the arts during residencies at the Park.

(Personally, Centrum has offered (me, my child, our community) the chance....)

(I feel strongly about Centrum because....)

Thank you for your consideration.

(Your name)

March 2009 News From Centrum

I am delighted to announce that John MacElwee has accepted an offer from the Centrum Board of Directors and will become the fifth Executive Director in the thirty-seven year history of Centrum. MacElwee (pronounced Mac-ELL-wee) will begin his tenure at the beginning of April. John replaces Thatcher Bailey who is now focusing on the newly established Fort Worden Collaborative.

John has worked in the field of arts management for over twenty-five years, and was selected from a field of forty-five applicants. We are thrilled to find a person of John’s caliber. He is the perfect fit for our organization. As Detroit Symphony Chairman Emeritus, Peter D. Cummings described him, he’s “the best non-profit marketer I ever worked with.”

“I am so excited to be a part of Centrum,” John says.  “I look forward to working with all of you to ensure
that Centrum communities and programs remain strong. I’m excited about all of the collaborative possibilities both at Fort Worden State Park and in Port Townsend, which, together, comprise a truly magical corner of the world. I am meeting with staff and board members prior to my start, and will reach out to as many of you as I can upon my arrival in April.”

John’s career started twenty-five years ago in the field of marketing, fundraising, and community relations for symphony orchestras, including the Pacific Symphony in Orange County, California. the Houston Symphony, and the Detroit Symphony, where he served as Vice President for Marketing and Communications--and where he brought tickets sales to their highest levels.

He also initiated two new community based jazz programs as part of the orchestra’s outreach programming. He later moved to the directorship of the Arts Council of Sonoma County, where he has worked with a broad array of community arts programs. Most recently, he was lead consultant in developing the business plan for the $120 million Green Music Center at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California, scheduled to open in 2011. Throughout his management career, John has continued to perform as a bass player with varied jazz ensembles, as well as orchestras and bluegrass groups.

VIP DONOR TICKET SALES
On May 1, we will be opening up ticket sales for our summer and fall performances - including our June 26-27 concerts with the Borromeo String Quartet.

As a Centrum donor, we’d like to invite you to get a head start on the general public. Therefore, we will be opening ticket sales for donors beginning Monday, April 20. Reserve the seat you want by purchasing tickets online at www.centrum.org, or by calling us at 360-385-3102 x116.

COMMUNITY UPDATES
Moving forward in 2009, all of us at Centrum are committed to sustaining and growing the communities and experiences that you love. Our four strategic values—cultural competence, artistic relevance, partnership, and financial vitality will guide our work this year and beyond, underlining the responsibility to ensure the continued growth of our communities and its artists. So what’s happening in our communities? Visit www.centrum.org for all of the latest information, but here’s a taste:

Fiddle Tunes at Centrum
We just wrapped up a very successful Quebecois Fiddle Tunes Intensive in March with De Temps Antan, and are working with Artistic Director Dirk Powell, gearing up for this summer’s Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. In November, we focus on Cajun music and culture during Le Bal de Maison - A Cajun House Party taking place at Fort Worden.

Residencies and New Work
At the end of 2008, we refocused our Artist in Residence program to support the creation of New Work by artists. This initiative is paying off. Over 120 artists are scheduled to be with us so far in 2009, creating new art at Fort Worden.

Young Artist Project
We are set to launch our middle school Explorations workshops, which give students from across the state  - as well as the all 7th graders in Port Townsend-  the opportunity to work with an amazing group of artists, including African dancers, Caribbean drummers, Latin American sculptors and glass blowers, Japanese musicians, and modern American hip-hop artists. It will also be a very busy summer for young artists, with our Summer High School Arts Camp; DANCE This – a new partnership with Seattle Theatre Group for high-schoolers; and Whale Camp – a new partnership with The Port Townsend Marine Science Center.

The Centrum Writers’ Exchange
Artistic Director Cristina García has crafted a completely sold-out workshop May 7-10 entitled Holding Your Gaze: The Literature of Witness, with poet Carolyn Forché. And the week of July 12-19, the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference will feature novelist Chris Abani, nonfiction writers Kim Barnes and Denise Chávez, poets Mark Doty and Robert Wrigely, and many others.

Jazz at Centrum
When you look at the faculty for 2009 Jazz Port Townsend, you see the future of jazz in America. Artistic Director John Clayton has invited a dynamic and exciting group of young artists to join some of our favorite faculty, and the results are outstanding; workshop registrations are well ahead of projections. We’ve also just announced two new gatherings that will take place in the fall, a Big Band Intensive led by John Clayton, and an Advanced Improvisation Intensive with Geoffrey Keezer.

Blues at Centrum
MacArthur Fellow Corey Harris kicks off his first year as Artistic Director of Blues at Centrum by inviting Terry Bean, Jerron Paxton, and Hook Herrera to come to Fort Worden in late April for a Traditional Back Porch Blues Summit. He’s also asked three West African musicians—Cheick Hamala Diabaté, Moussa Konate, and Mohamed Kouyate to join this summer’s (renamed) Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival to highlight our shared musical heritage. In October, we’ll be hosting a Piedmont Blues Intensive with John Dee Holeman, Michael Roach, and Lightnin’ Wells.

Fort Worden
At the end of the year, Centrum responded to a “Request for Letters of Interest” from Washington State Parks, outlining the organization’s long-term commitment to Fort Worden. Centrum’s application has been favorably reviewed and a two-year effort is now underway to achieve a host of mutually agreed upon organizational, financial, and program milestones that prove the wisdom of the State developing a long term co-management agreement with Centrum.

The working group for the newly named Fort Worden Collaborative consists of Fort Worden Manager Kate Burke, Centrum Board members John Begley and Cindy Hill Finnie, and former Centrum Executive Director Thatcher Bailey. In its efforts to develop, support, and promote creative learning and discovery at Fort Worden. The Collaborative will devote resources to strengthen the alliance of public, private nonprofit, and for profit enterprises at the Park.

In gratitude,
Libby Reid, Centrum Board President

John has worked in the field of arts management for over twenty-five years, and was selected from a field of forty-five applicants. We are thrilled to find a person of John’s caliber. He is the perfect fit for our organization. As Detroit Symphony Chairman Emeritus, Peter D. Cummings described him, he’s “the best non-profit marketer I ever worked with.”

“I am so excited to be a part of Centrum,” John says.  “I look forward to working with all of you to ensure
that Centrum communities and programs remain strong. I’m excited about all of the collaborative possibilities both at Fort Worden State Park and in Port Townsend, which, together, comprise a truly magical corner of the world. I am meeting with staff and board members prior to my start, and will reach out to as many of you as I can upon my arrival in April.”

John’s career started twenty-five years ago in the field of marketing, fundraising, and community relations for symphony orchestras, including the Pacific Symphony in Orange County, California. the Houston Symphony, and the Detroit Symphony, where he served as Vice President for Marketing and Communications--and where he brought tickets sales to their highest levels.

He also initiated two new community based jazz programs as part of the orchestra’s outreach programming. He later moved to the directorship of the Arts Council of Sonoma County, where he has worked with a broad array of community arts programs. Most recently, he was lead consultant in developing the business plan for the $120 million Green Music Center at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California, scheduled to open in 2011. Throughout his management career, John has continued to perform as a bass player with varied jazz ensembles, as well as orchestras and bluegrass groups.

VIP DONOR TICKET SALES
On May 1, we will be opening up ticket sales for our summer and fall performances - including our June 26-27 concerts with the Borromeo String Quartet.

As a Centrum donor, we’d like to invite you to get a head start on the general public. Therefore, we will be opening ticket sales for donors beginning Monday, April 20. Reserve the seat you want by purchasing tickets online at www.centrum.org, or by calling us at 360-385-3102 x116.

COMMUNITY UPDATES
Moving forward in 2009, all of us at Centrum are committed to sustaining and growing the communities and experiences that you love. Our four strategic values—cultural competence, artistic relevance, partnership, and financial vitality will guide our work this year and beyond, underlining the responsibility to ensure the continued growth of our communities and its artists. So what’s happening in our communities? Visit www.centrum.org for all of the latest information, but here’s a taste:

Fiddle Tunes at Centrum
We just wrapped up a very successful Quebecois Fiddle Tunes Intensive in March with De Temps Antan, and are working with Artistic Director Dirk Powell, gearing up for this summer’s Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. In November, we focus on Cajun music and culture during Le Bal de Maison - A Cajun House Party taking place at Fort Worden.

Residencies and New Work
At the end of 2008, we refocused our Artist in Residence program to support the creation of New Work by artists. This initiative is paying off. Over 120 artists are scheduled to be with us so far in 2009, creating new art at Fort Worden.

Young Artist Project
We are set to launch our middle school Explorations workshops, which give students from across the state  - as well as the all 7th graders in Port Townsend-  the opportunity to work with an amazing group of artists, including African dancers, Caribbean drummers, Latin American sculptors and glass blowers, Japanese musicians, and modern American hip-hop artists. It will also be a very busy summer for young artists, with our Summer High School Arts Camp; DANCE This – a new partnership with Seattle Theatre Group for high-schoolers; and Whale Camp – a new partnership with The Port Townsend Marine Science Center.

The Centrum Writers’ Exchange
Artistic Director Cristina García has crafted a completely sold-out workshop May 7-10 entitled Holding Your Gaze: The Literature of Witness, with poet Carolyn Forché. And the week of July 12-19, the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference will feature novelist Chris Abani, nonfiction writers Kim Barnes and Denise Chávez, poets Mark Doty and Robert Wrigely, and many others.

Jazz at Centrum
When you look at the faculty for 2009 Jazz Port Townsend, you see the future of jazz in America. Artistic Director John Clayton has invited a dynamic and exciting group of young artists to join some of our favorite faculty, and the results are outstanding; workshop registrations are well ahead of projections. We’ve also just announced two new gatherings that will take place in the fall, a Big Band Intensive led by John Clayton, and an Advanced Improvisation Intensive with Geoffrey Keezer.

Blues at Centrum
MacArthur Fellow Corey Harris kicks off his first year as Artistic Director of Blues at Centrum by inviting Terry Bean, Jerron Paxton, and Hook Herrera to come to Fort Worden in late April for a Traditional Back Porch Blues Summit. He’s also asked three West African musicians—Cheick Hamala Diabaté, Moussa Konate, and Mohamed Kouyate to join this summer’s (renamed) Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival to highlight our shared musical heritage. In October, we’ll be hosting a Piedmont Blues Intensive with John Dee Holeman, Michael Roach, and Lightnin’ Wells.

Fort Worden
At the end of the year, Centrum responded to a “Request for Letters of Interest” from Washington State Parks, outlining the organization’s long-term commitment to Fort Worden. Centrum’s application has been favorably reviewed and a two-year effort is now underway to achieve a host of mutually agreed upon organizational, financial, and program milestones that prove the wisdom of the State developing a long term co-management agreement with Centrum.

The working group for the newly named Fort Worden Collaborative consists of Fort Worden Manager Kate Burke, Centrum Board members John Begley and Cindy Hill Finnie, and former Centrum Executive Director Thatcher Bailey. In its efforts to develop, support, and promote creative learning and discovery at Fort Worden. The Collaborative will devote resources to strengthen the alliance of public, private nonprofit, and for profit enterprises at the Park.

In gratitude,
Libby Reid, Centrum Board President

Centrum Letter of Interest to Washington State Parks

[The following letter was submitted to Washington State Parks on January 9, 2009 to develop a public-private partnership with the agency. Submitted after a multi-year public planning process, this letter articulates Centrum's interest in ultimately managing aspects of the Life-Long Learning Center envisioned for Fort Worden.]

January 9, 2009

Kate Burke
Fort Worden Area Parks Manager
200 Battery Way
Port Townsend, WA 98368

Dear Kate:

We submit this Letter of Interest in response to your agency’s effort to identify a non-profit organization excited about and capable of “developing a long-term relationship with the agency and ultimately managing aspects of the life-long learning center envisioned for Fort Worden State Park.”

A Partnership of Purpose
How the non-profit demonstrates its ability to adapt to and align with the vision, mission, and values as adopted for Fort Worden State Park.

In September, 2004, the Centrum Board of Directors adopted a Plan for Growth guided by the following mission, vision, and values statements:

Mission
Centrum is a gathering place for artists and creative thinkers from around the world, students of all ages and backgrounds, and audiences seeking extraordinary cultural enrichment. Centrum promotes creative experiences that change lives.

Vision
Centrum is a lead partner in a vibrant alliance of public, private nonprofit, and for profit enterprises that serves and is economically sustained by the vision of Fort Worden State Park as a gathering place dedicated to creative, educational, and recreational retreat, renewal, and discovery.

Values
Creativity is our primary resource. We achieve excellence by taking risks and embracing change. We change by actively seeking out, inviting in, listening to, and learning from people of all ages and backgrounds.  We thrive in partnership and alliance.

The wording of and the spirit behind these statements reflects our institutional commitment to the profound partnership of purpose that Centrum seeks with Fort Worden. The alignment with the Fort’s own mission, vision, and values is intentional.

Lifelong Learning a Reality at Fort Worden; Changes for Centrum

On September 25, the Washington State Parks Commission voted unanimously to begin the process of finding and selecting a nonprofit organization to pursue management and operations of the planned life-long learning center at Fort Worden.

Today, Centrum announced its intention to submit a Letter of Interest to Washington State Parks to begin negotiations about options for nonprofit management.

Thatcher Bailey will resign as Centrum's Executive Director, effective November 15, to assemble a task force—including Centrum Board members Cindy Hill Finnie and John Begley—which will develop this application. Bailey will work as a consultant to Centrum through this process.

"This is a moment of extraordinary opportunity for Fort Worden, the local community, and the region," says Centrum Board President, Libby Reid. "We are deeply excited by the new vision for Fort Worden and want to play a role in building a partnership economy that serves and benefits all resident partners and users of the Park along with the local community."

The Centrum Board has begun a search to replace Bailey as Executive Director. In the meantime, Kisha Palmer will take charge of staff and day-to-day operations as Managing Director. "We remain 100% committed to strengthening and diversifying Centrum's core programs," explains Reid. "We are extremely fortunate that Kisha is in place as we move through this next phase of Centrum's evolution."

Contact Information

Centrum
PO Box 1158
(FedEx: 223 Battery Way)
Port Townsend, WA 98368
360-385-3102
info@centrum.org

Centrum Advisory Board

Clarence Acox, Seattle
Terry Bergeson, Olympia
David Brewster, Seattle
Kate Burke, Port Townsend
Peter Davis, Seattle
Ed Edwards, Port Townsend
Ellen Ferguson, Seattle
Jim Hargrove, Olympia
Phil Johnson, Port Townsend
Helen Keeley, Port Townsend
Lynn Kessler, Olympia
Mary Ann Peters, Seattle
Ron Rabin, Bellevue
Catharine Robinson, Port Townsend
Anne Schneider, Port Townsend
Mark Schulman, Plainfield, VT
Brent Shirley, Port Townsend
Elaine Starz Brown, Port Ludlow
Jim Tretter, Port Townsend
Kris Tucker, Olympia
Kevin Van De Wege, Sequim
Scott Wilson, Port Townsend
Rick Zajicek, Port Townsend

Centrum Board of Directors

President • Libby Reid
Port Townsend
Educator, arts patron

Vice President • Cindy Thayer
Port Townsend
Arts patron

Secretary • Cynthia Stevens McBride
Port Townsend
Art dealer; arts patron

Treasurer • John Begley
Port Ludlow
Management consultant

Past President • Bob Alexander
Seattle
Alaska National Insurance, Board member of Intiman Theater

Cindy Hill Finnie, Port Townsend
Agency Manager, Allstate Insurance Company Seattle, Washington State Arts Commissioner

Terry Bergeson, Olympia

Lucy Congdon Hanson, Port Townsend
Artist, sculptor, painter

Gordon C. Hamilton, Tacoma   

Leah Hammer, Port Townsend
Arts patron; former owner Ravenscroft Inn

Malcolm Harris, Seattle
Attorney, jazz musician

Edmund W. Littlefield, Jr., Arlington
President, Sage Arts; musician

David Marriott, Seattle
Partner, Gogerty, Stark, Marriott Public Relations

Michelle Sandoval, Port Townsend
Realtor; arts patron

E. Ted Springstead, Port Townsend
Management consultant

Joseph F. Wheeler, Port Townsend
Founding Executive Director of Centrum

Centrum Staff

John Anderson (Bookkeeper) joined Centrum in 2008. John graduated from Bellevue Community College with an AA in Accounting. Besides performing at the Ice House, frittering away his time acquiring the odd college degree, owning an accounting software house, and engulfing himself in epidemiological research, he has worked in a variety of accounting/bookkeeping positions in both the for-profit and not-for-profit arenas. Although new to Centrum, John and his wife have been plying the Port Townsend scene for over 25 years. His passions include bipedal exercising, biking, kayaking, reading, and a budding career as a novice boatman. Email = john (at) centrum (dot) org.

John Clayton (Artistic Director of Jazz Programs) leads Centrum’s Jazz Port Townsend festival and workshop. A Grammy-nominated bassist, composer and conductor, Clayton has written and arranged music for Diana Krall, Milt Jackson, Quincy Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Whitney Houston and many others. He served as the Artistic Director of Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl from 1999-2001. His compositions have been performed by ensembles throughout the US and Europe, including the American Jazz Philharmonic and the Carnegie Hall Big Band. Clayton is the co-leader, along with his saxophone playing brother Jeff, of the Clayton Brothers Quintet.

Cristina García (Artistic Director for Literary Programming) worked for Time magazine as a researcher, reporter and Miami bureau chief before turning to writing fiction. Her first novel, Dreaming in Cuban, was nominated for the National Book Award. García has since published the novels The Agüero Sisters, Monkey Hunting, and A Handbook to Luck. García’s work has been translated into fourteen languages. She is the recipient of Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Writers’ Award, a Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University, and an NEA grant, among other awards.

Kendra Golden (Development Manager) joined the Centrum Staff in spring 2001, beginning her association as a volunteer and becoming invaluable during the summer season, then acting as liaison for the Centrum Gala Auction. Her previous careers included law and teaching. Email = kendra (at) centrum (dot) org.

Corey Harris (Artistic Director for Blues) polished up his blues playing while living in Cameroon, where he was studying Pidgin English on a Watson Fellowship. He burst onto the United States scene in 1995 with his debut recording, Between Midnight and Day, an exploration of rural blues styles. After street-busking and taking small gigs near his home outside New Orleans, it quickly became clear that he couldn’t be pigeonholed as simply a blues musician. He'd grown up listening to gospel, funk, Motown, jazz, reggae and R&B, and by the time he moved to New Orleans, he was well on his way to becoming a connoisseur of African music, as well. Harris's CDs include Between Midnight and Day, Fish Ain't Bitin' , Greens from the Garden, Vu-Du Menz, Downhome Sophisticate, Mississippi to Mali, Daily Bread, and 2007’s Zion Crossroads. In 2007 Harris was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.

Jordan Hartt (Communications Coordinator and Program Manager for the Centrum Writers Exchange) joined Centrum in January, 2006. Jordan holds degrees in English from Western Washington University and the University of Idaho and teaches at Peninsula College. He plays the didgeridoo and is an avid baseball fan. Email = jordan (at) centrum (dot) org.

Mary Hilts (Development Associate, Box Office Manager) joined the Centrum staff in 2003. Mary assists in all aspects of resource development, maintains Centrum's donor database, processes donations, performs research associated with charitable foundations and other funding sources and assists in coordination of donor events, including the Centrum Gala. A native of Los Angeles, California, Mary moved to Port Townsend in 1980, is a musician, artist, and advocate for social justice. Email = mary (at) centrum (dot) org.

John MacElwee (Executive Director) joined Centrum in 2009. John's career started 25 years ago in the field of orchestra marketing, fundraising, and community relations with symphony orchestras, including the Pacific Symphony in Orange County, Calif., later with the Houston Symphony, and then with the Detroit Symphony, where he served as Vice President for Marketing and Communications. He later moved to the directorship of the Arts Council of Sonoma County, where he worked with a broad array of community arts programs. Most recently, John was lead consultant in developing the business plan for the $120 million Green Music Center at Rohnert Park, Calif., scheduled to open in 2011 and served as an organizational consultant to the Healdsburg, Calif. Jazz Festival. Throughout his management career, MacElwee continues to perform as a bass player with varied jazz ensembles, as well as orchestras and bluegrass groups.  Email = johnm (at) centrum (dot) org

Tina McCleese (Finance Director) joined Centrum in 2006. She graduated from Eastern Washington University with a BA in Accounting. Tina owns Clarity Enterprises and serves as a financial consultant and guide to several Pacific Northwest non-profit and for-profit organizations. Her Port Townsend clients include Centrum, Swan School, the Boiler Room, and Jefferson Land Trust. Tina's passions include her two kids and her fabulous husband, learning to sail, and exploring her creative side. Email = tina (at) centrum (dot) org.

Peter McCracken (Program Manager, Blues, Fiddle Tunes) was on staff at Centrum from 1987 to 1998, serving in various capacities, including Arts Program Director and Traditional Arts Program Manager. In 1992, he started the Blues workshop and festival, bringing five National Heritage Award recipients to Fort Worden to perform and teach. McCracken led the initial curatorial project for Centrum's Festival of American Fiddle Tunes Preservation and Stabilization project in 2000, producing Volume 1 of the Fiddle Tunes Archives. The CD "A 20th Anniversary Festival Sampler" captures twenty-two performances from the festival's twentieth gathering. The long-term project received initial funding from the National endowment for the Arts, along with generous donations from individual donors. Email = peter (at) centrum (dot) org.

Gregg Miller (Program Manager, Jazz) first came to Centrum in 1978 as a student in the Chamber Music camp. In the early '90s, he returned for three years as a faculty member at Jazz Port Townsend. In the fall of 1999 he began organizing the educational and performance components of Jazz Port Townsend, the Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival, and other concerts. In November 2003, he became Director of Programs, and assumed his current position in 2005. Gregg is active as a professional clarinetist and educator. He enjoys working with his hands, including driving and repairing wheat combines each summer in eastern Washington. He lives with his wife and son on Bainbridge Island. Email = gregg (at) centrum (dot) org.

Dirk Powell (Artistic Director, Fiddle Tunes) has expanded on the deeply rooted sounds of his Appalachian heritage to become one of the preeminent traditional American musicians of his generation. In addition to acclaimed releases on Rounder Records, he’s recorded and performed with artists such as Loretta Lynn, playing several instruments on her Grammy-winning release “Van Lear Rose,” Sting, Jack White, Levon Helm, Jewel, T-Bone Burnett, Ralph Stanley, and Linda Ronstadt, among others. His ability to unite the essence of his culture with modern sensibilities has led to work with many of today's greatest film directors, including Anthony Minghella, Spike Lee, Ang Lee, Victor Nuñez, Steve James, and Edward Burns.

Hali Kalae Ransom (Registrar, Hospitality Coordinator) came to Centrum in early 2008 after managing the classified and circulation departments at The Port Townsend and Jefferson County Leader. She was packed up at the age of five and relocated to Port Townsend where her father, Bill Ransom, founded and directed the Port Townsend Writers' Conference. Hali has been a PT "local" ever since. Email = hali (at) centrum (dot) org.

Lisa Werner (New Works Program Manager, Volunteer Coordinator) Lisa moved from Hawai'i in 2008 to work at Centrum. She has owned and operated her own businesses, including a popular beachfront lunch and film catering business. Her passion has always been racing Hawaiian outrigger canoes and coaching competitive open ocean teams, and she hopes to form a team here in Port Townsend. Her previous volunteer work includes the American Red Cross, Advocats Hawai'i, the Big Island Aids Foundation, Punana Leo Language Immersion School, and the board of the Kohala Hospital Charitable Foundation. Living in Port Townsend and working at Centrum is a perfect blend of music, culture, and seaside community for Lisa and her partner, who plan to build a home on their Discover Bay property. Email = lisa (at) centrum (dot) org.

Martha Worthley (Program Manager, Young Artist Project) joined Centrum in 2007. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, she studied at the San Francisco Art Institute (BFA 1977) and also studied textile design and printing at the Rhode Island School of Design and Oregon College of Arts and Crafts. Worthley recently returned from a year in Mexico where she lived in Guadalajara and taught at the American School Foundation. While there she took the opportunity to travel in order to pursue her interest in Mexican arts and crafts. Email = martha (at) centrum (dot) org.

Note: We apologize for the inconvenience of having to type out our staff email addresses. Having direct links brought us staggering quantities of spam every day.

About Centrum

“I can’t believe a place like this actually exists”

Centrum, in partnership with Fort Worden State Park, is a gathering place for artists and creative thinkers from around the world, students of all ages and backgrounds, and audiences seeking extraordinary cultural enrichment. Centrum promotes creative experiences that change lives.

Located in Port Townsend, Washington, Fort Worden—a turn-of-the-century army base--offers an unmatched combination of natural beauty and historic interest. Acres of saltwater beaches, wooded hills, and open fields are framed by stunning vistas of the Olympic and Cascade ranges and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It’s a place where the land stops, the sea begins, and the mind keeps going.

Over the past three decades Centrum has gathered hundreds of thousands of individuals—great artists, creative thinkers, ardent students, and passionate fans—who have transformed Fort Worden into a legendary site of creative learning and interaction.

Creativity is our primary resource. We believe that individuals and organizations achieve excellence by taking risks and embracing change. We change by actively seeking out, inviting in, listening to, and learning from people of all ages and backgrounds. Centrum serves as both a retreat from and opening to the world.

Centrum was founded as a partnership between the Washington State Arts Commission, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. We continue to thrive in partnership with these agencies and develop new partnerships with educational and arts organizations (such as Goddard College and Copper Canyon Press) that extend our mission and expand our capacity and reach.

With these partners Centrum is able to provide year-round programming at Fort Worden. We offer 2-7 day residential workshops—some very intimate, others serving several hundred participants in myriad forms of music, dance, writing, visual arts, and theater, led by master artists from around the region and world. Often these gatherings feature major festivals and public performances drawing thousands from around the region to McCurdy Pavilion and the Wheeler Theater. Centrum provides artist residencies and creative gatherings devoted to new work and new ideas.

While most of our programming is intergenerational we do provide a series of residential learning experiences that serve youth only. About one-third of Centrum workshop participants are 18 year old or younger. We are dramatically increasing scholarship funds available for youth with the goal of being able to serve and learn from the broadest possible spectrum of aspiring young artists and creative thinkers.

We directly serve about 27,000 individuals each year.

At the core of the Centrum community are more than one thousand individual donors and volunteers who demonstrate through their generosity a profound belief in the power of creativity. They understand that imagination is the freedom to create a different world--for an hour, a week, or a lifetime.