The Art Garden is a Community Supported Art-making place in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. We create nurturing, non-judgmental and inspirational environments (both inside & outside our studio) where people of all ages and experience explore, develop and share their creativity. We offer a number of programs for all ages as well as intergenerational events for people to make art together in a collaborative creative community.
The Art Garden was founded in 2009 by teaching and community artist Jane Beatrice Wegscheider. A commitment to conversation, collaboration, community engagement and responsiveness to community needs has shaped The Art Garden’s development. Jane had many conversations with community members while physically creating an intergenerational, community studio environment designed to support self-directed, creative exploration in the visual arts.
She and other community members donated art supplies, an art-focused library and an eclectic assortment of beautiful junk that can be repurposed into art. Community donations continue to flow into our studio for creative use by people of all ages.
All of our summer programs are collaborations. And with grant support, teens and young adults are paid assistants in programs for younger children and paid artists and interns in large scale community art projects. Community members work collaboratively with Art Garden facilitators to co-create community art projects, contributing hundreds of hours, while noting the personal creative benefits of being part of an intergenerational collaboration.
