PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson Community School has renovated its space and intends to build a creative arts center that will serve all East Jefferson County students while honoring one of the school’s founders.
“We don’t have all the details ironed out,” Rita Hemsley, Head of School, said of the nascent program at the private school at 280 Quincy St.
“But this facility has allowed us to dream, and we are dreaming in the right direction.”
Hemsley said the new arts facility will be the site for regular after-school classes and workshops that will be offered first to community school students this month and then open up to other students after Jan. 1.
Over the past several months, the school has renovated its once-divided second floor into an open 1,000-foot space and christened the room the Julie Marston Great Hall in honor of the educator who died in May at the age of 63.
In a ceremony Nov. 23 about 70 people gathered in Marston’s memory to recognize her dedication to the arts.
The new facility is expected to nurture that dedication in others.
“As we embark on building this arts program, we are building a social bond and community cohesion,” Hemsley said during the ceremony.
“We’re inviting the community into our school and teaching the students something beyond their current thinking.”
“Julie didn’t just care about people; she valued them,” said Anchor Jennison, Jefferson Community School student.
“She saw their worth and encouraged them to pursue their interests.
“She understood that every person had a spirit and a unique perspective, one that was worth protecting and fostering.”
Marston moved to Port Townsend in 1984 and worked in the Chimacum and Port Townsend school districts before co-founding the Jefferson Community School in 2005.
The school, located in a historical building known as Good Templars Hall, opened as an alternative-education option for students in the sixth-through 12th grades.
It sponsored annual student expeditions to such places as Vietnam, Mexico, Costa Rica and Thailand.
Marston retired for health reasons but then opened Marston Academy, where she taught students a few days a week out of her home.
Aside from naming the arts room after Marston, the school expects to award a regular arts scholarship in her name.
Hemsley said that running the arts program in December for community school students will serve as a test run for offering it to a wider group.
“It’s not so much of an organizational challenge to manage 30 kids, but we need to make sure it works before we invite more people in,” she said.
Details such as tuition and insurance have yet to be resolved.
Hemsley said the classes will be offered on a sliding scale, and it is not known whether community school students will need to pay any extra fees to participate.
Artists interested
Area artists have shown an interest in participating, said Hemsley, who hopes to host a variety of people who will give the students a different perspective.
One of those interested is local artist Max Grover, who just closed his gallery in October.
“One of the things I am nostalgic about is not having the teaching space for my students,” Grover said at the ceremony.
“I hope you invite me here so I can work with you.”
“This is the right thing to do for the community,” Hemsley said.
“I would like to see this space utilized fully in all possible hours where we can see an arts program flourishing.
“This is a beautiful place, and we should open it up to everybody.”
For more information about the school, visit jeffersoncommunityschool.com or phone 360-385-0622.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
