FAWC Begins Reconstruction Project

  In September 2004, FAWC began a three-year project to add an additional 3,500-square feet of new work space and renovate 2,500-square feet of existing space at its 24 Pearl Street location.

"Today, the Work Center facilities offer two very important features—housing and studio spaces," said FAWC Executive Director Hunter O’Hanian. "The studios are used by the Visual Arts Fellows in the winter and become classrooms in summer. Winter Fellows, summer students and faculty use our housing. In addition, the Returning and Collaborative Residents use the housing and studios. The essential core of the reconstruction plan is to create and improve the spaces that support the artists and writers who stay and work here. Over the past few years, we have spent more than $250,000 to catch up on deferred maintenance and replace and modernize equipment and building elements. We’ve also upgraded our public spaces such as the Hudson D. Walker Gallery and the Stanley Kunitz Common Room. The time has come to create and improve spaces that directly relate to the work that is done by the more than 1,000 artists and writers who come each year to work here at FAWC."

Work has begun on the critical focus of the reconstruction plan, a new structure that will connect the easternmost side of the Common Room Building and the former Trapshed Building. This new structure, two stories in height, with a complete basement for storage and mechanical services, will add an additional 2,200-sq. ft. of space. The first floor of the structure, 750-sq. ft., will be used for a permanent print shop. The second floor will contain two new studios of approximately 375-sq. ft. each. A third new studio will be added on the second floor of the Common Room Building. These expansions will allow for a ventilated and fully equipped modern print shop to serve the Winter Fellows and summer students alike. The existing print room will be converted into a larger darkroom facility.

With the relocation of the storage area to the basement of the new building, the existing storage room and one studio will be reconfigured to create a Fellow’s Lounge and permanent computer facility. Finally, the first floor living unit (Unit 11) in the Days Lumber Yard Building will be converted into a library and meeting room. As a result, the entire office area on the first floor of the Days Lumber Yard Building will be redesigned to meet the demands of growing programs.

To replace the housing lost by converting Apartment 11 into a library, the Cottage at 6A Fishburn Court was taken down and a new two-family structure has been built on the existing footprint with a basement for additional storage. A portion of the Cottage was relocated across Fishburn Court, given to Provincetown artist Donna Flax for use as a studio.

The Fine Arts Work Center purchased its current site at 24 Pearl Street in 1972. The site had been a former lumberyard and plumbing supply retailer, and sold coal and firewood. In 1988, FAWC undertook a major reconstruction project and renovated several of the main buildings. The current reconstruction project will not be finished until 2006, as FAWC is attempting to complete these renovations with minimal adverse impact on the existing programs. Boston- and Provincetown-based architect Michael Prodanou, who served as architect on the 1988 changes, designed the renovation project. Augustus Construction of Eastham and Provincetown has been selected as the general contractor. Presently, the Fine Arts Work Center owns nine separate buildings, containing 25 living units, 14 studios, a gallery, woodshop, auditorium, offices and a small darkroom and print shop.