Centrum

In 1973, a car carried two men through a windy, rainy day from Olympia to Port Townsend, Washington. As it crested the hill above Fort Worden State Park, the sun broke through the clouds. In that instant, the white-washed barracks and officers’ houses of the abandoned Army post were lit up against scuttling grey clouds beyond.

For one of those men, that moment was a revelation. It would change his life and the lives of thousands of artists who would teach and learn in those same buildings over the next 50 years. Joe Wheeler knew immediately that Fort Worden—then almost empty—was the right place to launch a long-imagined center for life-long learning and creative discovery. By the end of 1973, that idea was called Centrum. In the months that followed, Centrum started bringing to life the programs that continue today.

For five decades Centrum has been a building a home for the arts and for artists, and nurturing a community which values the importance of creativity and inspiration for our lives and our world.

It’s up to us to ensure this continues.

This year, Centrum will celebrate 50 years with musicians and artists from around the world. Each has a story of how their lives have been transformed at Centrum. Stories like that of the young singer who met her life-long mentors during a jazz workshop. Of the fiddle players, young and old, who gather for a week with living legends of Cajun music. Of the aspiring writers who hear how published authors pushed through their own fears and setbacks. Of the young artists whose eyes are opened to their own potential as they create together.

These stories and experiences—and thousands more like them—would not exist without your support. Please join me by making a contribution to celebrate 50 years of creativity in community at Centrum and set the stage for 50 more to come.

Thank you for being a part of the incredible journey from 1973 to today. I look forward to many more years of creative discovery together. 

Scott Wilson, Centrum Board President