IS 183, Art School of the Berkshires

CONTACT:

PO Box 1400
Stockbridge, MA 01262
413-298-5252
www.is183.org

Karin Watkins, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

Founded as the Interlaken School of Art in 1991, IS183 is today the only year-round fine art and craft school in the Berkshires -- think about that. From 50 students in its first year, it has now grown to 550 students and 35 faculty in the summer, over 1,200 students annually. It must be doing something right. One such thing is its emphasis on the humane values of “art-making” for its students, who are of all ages, all backgrounds. This school explicitly purports to change lives, and evidently it has done so, many times over. Another strong point is its commitment to serving everyone who comes in the door, no matter what his or her financial resources, previous training, or native abilities, might be. For this it needs an hospitable spirit, backed-up by a strong scholarship program, energetic fundraising, and generous support from individuals, corporations, and (diminishingly) government grants. A third fine feature is its collaborative outreach to other philanthropic institutions and programs in its neighborhood -- including the Storefront Artist Project, Railroad Street Youth Project, and Community Access to the Arts -- each with more specialized constituencies. Finally, we must mention the high quality of its faculty -- dedicated teaching artists, who care and communicate that caring support to their students. We invite you to share in this accomplishment.

(2003: CULTURE: Education: Formal: Schools)