SHEFFIELD — A core group of committed folks were doggedly determined to keep the lights on at the historic nonprofit gracing the Village Green. Suffice it to say, they have been nothing short of wildly successful.
Earlier this week, Dewey Hall, a beacon of the arts and culture in Sheffield, received a $15,000 grant for operations from the Jane & Jack Fitzpatrick Trust. The Hall, which has been cut off from its normal income sources during the pandemic, also raised $30,000 in a fundraising drive that ended earlier this year.
“We are extremely grateful for this grant which, along with the funds we raised this winter, will allow us to head into 2022 on close to an even footing as our income streams slowly return,” said board president Beth Carlson.
The Jane & Jack Fitzpatrick Trust, a private charitable foundation established in 2004 by its eponymous founders, is a natural extension of the Fitzpatrick family’s long-standing tradition of philanthropy in Berkshire County. The couple’s involvement in the Berkshires community began in 1958 when they moved their family — and growing mail-order business, Country Curtains — to Stockbridge. This, along with their purchase and restoration of two Berkshire County landmarks, The Red Lion Inn and Blantyre, created a legacy that lingers, largely in the many cultural institutions the Fitzpatricks loved.
“Dewey Hall hopes to vault itself back into the center of South Berkshire community life,” said Carlson, who noted that grants typically apply to categories such as historical preservation, economic development, and arts and culture, which preclude a grantee’s operations. During the COVID-19 crisis, however, The Fitzpatrick Trust has been giving out one-year “response” grants for general operational needs, acknowledging, “this temporary funding shift is to help sustain our Berkshire County nonprofit partners,” according to the fund’s website.
The history of Dewey Hall runs deep. The fieldstone, marble, and shingle structure was built in 1887 and named for Orville Dewey. Today, 134 years after the historic Arts and Crafts-style edifice was erected in honor of the Williams College graduate and Unitarian minister who called Sheffield home, it remains at the center of town life. This past winter, Priscilla Cote received Dewey Hall’s First Annual Volunteer Service Award for her more than three decades of service (as former board president and current board member) to the local nonprofit. A short film, “Priscilla Cote: The History of Dewey Hall,” is available to view on Dewey Hall’s YouTube channel.
Just in time for summer, outdoor events at the Hall are in full swing. The Friday night TapRoot Sessions concerts will run until early September. In addition, the free Saturday morning series Young at Heart features Roger the Jester, storytelling by Ed Hotaling, and other fun interactive events for families. The Other Sounds music series offers ambient and electronic music. A variety of other spoken word and musical events are scheduled, including a concert on July 3 at 7 p.m. with Steve Katz, a founding member of 1960s supergroup Blood, Sweat & Tears. Resumption of indoor programming is yet to be determined.
With the lights blazing bright, and the past year’s pandemic woes fading into the distance, Dewey Hall remains positioned for great things. “It is exciting to see all the new things happening here,” said Carlson, “[and] we want to be a vital part of a thriving Sheffield scene.”
