In Jaffrey, 60 isn’t “old,” but the Civic Center, built in 1966, was feeling its age. Over the past two years, we have dramatically improved, updated, and refurbished the building.
Thanks in large part to a federal Community Development Block Grant awarded to us by the Department of Energy, we have completed the following work on the building: a new rear entrance with an expanded landing making winter use easier, an improved wheelchair ramp on the north side of the building, a new fire security system, new fire doors, a new roof, improvements to the heating system, new windows throughout the building, new flooring on the first and second floor, updates in the kitchenette, and repainting of the galleries and work spaces.
Outside of the building, the columns and front portico were replaced and shored up. The parking lot has been improved and resurfaced. Overgrown plantings, dead trees, and a stand of sun-blocking large pines were removed or cut back. The lawn is, once again, a large expanse of healthy green grass.
These changes are the outward manifestation of a revitalized board of trustees and set of incorporators. The COVID-19 pandemic was a difficult time for the Civic Center, but since then we have grown in the quality of our exhibits, use of the building, and classes offered. The list for just this past year is too long to recount, but it includes a show devoted to the Warfield Bird collection owned by the Jaffrey Historical Society, a display of the Hamilton Collection of Frank Lloyd Wright artifacts, seven sold-out talks as part of our Stories to Share series, an art history and music series, and countless classes, meetings, and events on the lawn.
Marion Mack Johnson’s vision for an “open center … freely available for educational, scientific, cultural, and creative activities” has been fully realized. The Civic Center has faithfully served Jaffrey and the Monadnock region for 60 years. It is now as important, if not more so, than when it was founded.
Of course, we can’t rest on our history. The demographics and cultural folkways of the towns in the Monadnock region are changing. Many civic organizations struggle to maintain membership, enthusiasm, and the volunteerism that has sustained them since the turn of the last century. At the Civic Center, we are open to changes. We continuously look for new ways to meet the needs of the community. We are ever vigilant to discover new groups to aid and support.
We now have a substantial social media presence and a handsome, up-to-date website. Our Stories to Share talks are recorded and made available on YouTube. We use QR codes on some exhibits and have excellent open internet access available in the building.
The number of groups that use our gallery and display spaces is larger than it has ever been. We recently had the Mid-Coast Maine Book Artists group show in our display cases. One of the large shows in recent years was an exhibit of Ewing Award winners that drew many visitors from the Keene area who were pleasantly surprised to discover the Civic Center. Our art and craft classes fill up quickly, many with people new to Jaffrey and the Civic Center, and groups, like the newly formed Monadnock Co-Op Working Group, use our building for meetings.
The need for in-person local events and exhibits seems vitally important now, in our age of algorithms, AI, and digital distraction. For each art exhibit we have an opening reception. Our receptions are open, well attended, and joyous.
“How do we achieve community in the modern age?” is a question of the now. We have some answers. Part of it is just showing up. We often provide the venue for showing up.
For the past 60 years, we have been the home of the Jaffrey Historical Society. They are a sister organization to us, and in building the Civic Center, Marion Mack Johnson wanted to ensure they had a home. As Peter Lambert, the current president of the JHS, put it, “we (the JHS) have outgrown the nest.” In over half a century, their collections and archives have grown larger than the bottom floor of the Civic Center can accommodate. For a number of reasons, like accessibility, the space no longer worked for them. They recently made the decision to move into a bigger space leased to them by the town of Jaffrey. While the Civic Center is sad to see them go, the vacated space does open new possibilities for programming and building use.
Looking forward, the Civic Center will:
— Maintain and improve the Civic Center building with special attention paid to safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency.
— Continue to exhibit works of art and art groups so that the people of Jaffrey have free access to high-quality, well-presented visual arts.
— Seek speakers, performers, and musicians to provide meaningful events that are open and free to the public.
— Organize and provide classes that serve the current needs and desires of our local community.
— Work out the increasingly complicated logistics of allowing the use of our building by Jaffrey nonprofit organizations.
— Develop a compelling plan for the use of the bottom floor of the Civic Center.
As we look back at all the good the Civic Center has done in the past 60 years, it is exciting to know that we might be improving on the fulfillment of our mission. We are more needed now than ever, and we are in great shape to meet the ever-increasing challenges before us. Marion Mack Johnson built an “open center” that maintains community by allowing educational, scientific, cultural, and creative activities. We are proud to continue that vision into the future.
Sean Driscoll is a member of the Jaffrey Civic Center Board of Trustees.