for these activities is reduced. Residents travel significant distances to attend quality live performances as small concert venues become increasingly scarce. Visual artists have difficulty locating appropriate venues to display their work.

The Center for Arts provides a cultural focus for this region. In this facility, both developing and established artists will present performances, literary events and art exhibitions. Here, also, the community will enjoy a cultural environment that brings together individuals and families, children and seniors to participate in the Arts. All who enter will benefit from exposure to the arts in this vibrant, creative and interactive environment.

At the core of the project emerges an active and adventuresome program of performance. In its first phase of operation, performances were held six nights a week and often on weekend days in a small coffehouse-style venue located at 31 Main Street in downtown Natick. Despite its limitations as a business storefront, the venue offered a wonderful window through which the visitor could see potential.

A vibrant and dynamic visual arts component serves the community by coordinating and maintaining art exhibits at the facility and promoting artistic creativity through establishment and nurturing of various art programs, including art classes and mentoring programs. This plan places works by local artists into the business and retail community at large.

Ongoing programs at The Center for Arts include a popular artist series featuring national performers, a local star series featuring outstanding local talent, a classical music series, community theater from the TCAN Players, family programs, open mike events, dance education, theater education, summer arts camps and a thriving visual arts gallery with several satellite galleries.

Weekend headliners reflect the musical tastes of the public at-large and varied musical genres:

Mission and Goals

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Mission Statement

As the center for performing and visual arts in Boston's Metrowest region, The Center for Arts in Natick is a non-profit organization dedicated to community development by providing opportunities for people to build and strengthen relationships through participation in the arts. To fulfill that mission, the Center strives to produce and present performances, productions and exhibits that reflect the diversity of the world in which we live, and to enhance arts appreciation through arts education and experimentation.

Through our shared interest in the arts, we find opportunities to appreciate our similarities and better understand our differences. Individually, the arts help us explore our world, improve self-esteem, inspire creativity, and help reach new goals.

Scope

The Center for Arts in Natick serves the greater Metrowest community. TCAN’s programs are open to the public and represent the diversity of our community, including people of all ages, cultural and economic backgrounds, artistic interests and experience levels.

Goals

The Center for Arts in Natick will accomplish its mission by developing an organization, operating model and financial plans that sustain its operation over time and result in the achievement of the following goals, which define our functional direction:

Provide opportunities for positive community interaction – Develop programs that allow artists and non-artists to enhance themselves and the community as artists, patrons or volunteers, through member programs, volunteer activities, fundraising events and educational offerings.

Provide a rich variety of arts experiences – Host a balanced program schedule of theater, music and dance performances, art exhibits and spoken/written word events that appeal to the broad range of artistic interests and perspectives represented in our diverse community.

Provide opportunities for arts education – Host classes, seminars, presentations and artistic experiences that help increase artistic proficiency, awareness and understanding, while introducing new artists and art forms to the community and encouraging artistic experimentation.

Support and develop performers and artists – Encourage and grow the community of artists by offering opportunities for employment through performance and exhibit, mentoring and education programs, recognition programs and networking opportunities for artists of all experience levels.

Create alliances with companion organizations – Participate in meaningful partnerships with schools, libraries, music, theater and art educators, community arts organizations and other groups devoted to enhancing the quality of life through a greater appreciation of the arts.

The Organization

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The Site and Building

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After considering several sites in the MetroWest region, TCAN reached agreement with the Town of Natick to purchase the historic Summer Street Firehouse. Built in 1875 after Natick's Great Fire of 1874, the building was vacated by the Natick Fire Department in the 1990s and was wonderfully suited to become the physical home of TCAN. The Summer Street Firehouse - when fully renovated - will have two performance spaces seating 280 and 120 people respectively with additional space to accommodate art exhibits, offices, teaching facilities, sound and rehearsal studios.

Location: Natick is centrally located, adjacent to Wellesley, Framingham, Dover, Sherborn, Weston and Wayland and less than 10 miles from Sudbury, Needham, Ashland and Holliston.

The Summer Street Firehouse: In the heart of a revitalized downtown, the building sits amid striking turn-of-the-century architecture and elegant new construction. Natick's new downtown includes a library, municipal buildings (fire/police complex and town hall), and many attractive and upscale shops and restaurants.

Size: 9,000 square feet, providing the requisite space to support a substantial community arts center.

Age and historical credentials: Built in 1875, the Summer Street Firehouse is on the National Register of Historic Buildings. In 2005 TCAN received an award of recognition from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, for its faithful restoration of the facility and creative reuse of the property.

Fundraising and Renovations

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Substantial improvements are required to transform Natick's vintage 1875 Summer Street Firehouse into a multi-functional arts facility and realize the potential of its three floors and 9,000 square feet of space.

The financial support of generous individuals and business leaders, foundations, and government sources is necessary to finish converting the Summer Street Firehouse into a flourishing convergence of the arts.

Floor plan

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The Summer Street Firehouse

Ground Floor - Proposed
Music and art studio space
Equipment storage area
Teaching and drop-in creation area
Physical plant and maintenance area

Second Floor - Proposed
An 120-seat performance space/meeting area
Arts office space

How You Can Help

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The Arts can continue to flourish only through the generosity of individual patrons. In recent years, arts organizations received 80 percent of their funding from individuals. Share our vision: The Center for Arts in Natick needs your support to achieve its goal of becoming MetroWest's premier community arts facility. Consider - without the patronage of the Medici, the world would never have seen the works of Leonardo DaVinci. Please take action to support this critical investment in the Arts and quality of life in the MetroWest region.