Sharon Arts was founded in 1946 in the spirit of artists coming together, sharing, and engaging the larger community with their work.

More than studio and gallery space, it was founded to nurture and support a local artist community. Its success and growth as an institution was built by this local community. I would argue it began to fail as it became unmoored from this deep community connection.

My experience as Director of MAxT Makerspace has taught me that the facility and tools you have on hand are important, but it is your connection and service to your community that ultimately leads to sustainability.

Our survey of local artists revealed a number of challenges, but one of the most striking was the feeling of isolation and the difficulty artists were having connecting with a larger community.

While more than 75 percent have their own private space and equipment, most also told us they would join an arts center like Sharon Arts. Many also told us their single biggest challenge as an artist was getting integrated in the community, engaging with other artists, and having a voice in town.

Just like any industry, collaboration, continual learning and improvement are crucial to the vibrancy of the arts community. And it is crucial to the health of our community at large that the arts remain vibrant.

Sharon Arts used to be that place – it elevated the arts in the lives of so many, from renowned artists to beginners.

The opportunity to learn from more established artists, to share skills, get regular critiques and new ideas was part of the secret sauce. We saw in the survey that sharing is something the arts community continues to want to engage in – over 40 percent of the respondents said they teach or want to teach classes, and 50 percent wanted to take those classes.

A focus on building on Sharon Art’s legacy of education and community is therefore essential. This is why, while work is done to bring back a new arts facility to our area, we are also working with local artists and instructors to begin filling some of the needs of our arts community right now.

Starting in January, a series of workshops (since we don’t own the name Sharon Arts, lets call them ‘Sharin’ Arts’ for now) will be launched in a number of locations in our region.

They will be taught by some of our area’s leading artists in printmaking, ceramics, painting, illustration, and more. The Peterborough Arts Collective is also helping to fill the gap and have already launched a new regular figure drawing program and are exploring programming to support the development of young artists (particularly high-school students).

More information about these opportunities will be listed on the makerspace calendar at www.maxtmakerspace.org.

Roy Schlieben is director of the MAxT Makerspace in Peterborough.