Centrum, the arts nonprofit — and long-term producer of celebrated summer jazz workshop, Jazz Port Townsend — based in Port Townsend, Washington, recently got some hopeful news during a challenging time for the nonprofit sector.
As of early February, Centrum has signed a 35-year agreement with Washington State Parks Commission, with an option to extend for another 35 years after that.
The landmark agreement secures Centrum’s future at Fort Worden State Park, offsets a portion of future rent payments, and allows for much-needed renovations of the 14-building historic site, which is more than a century old and a major site for gathering and recreation on the Olympic Peninsula.
“This is the most exciting moment the board can recall,” said Walter Parsons, president of Centrum’s Board of Directors, in a press release. “In the past year alone, Centrum served more than 10,000 audience members and 1,700 workshop participants from around the world. This lease ensures that impact will continue for generations.”
A 50-year journey
From 1902 until 1953, Fort Worden served as an army base and a critical part of defense in the region. After the U.S. Army decided to vacate the fort in 1953, Fort Warden became a juvenile detention facility.
In 1973, Fort Worden opened as a state park. That same year, Joe Wheeler, a music teacher, founded Centrum to create a space dedicated to arts and education at the newly-minted state park.
About a decade later, renowned woodwindist Bud Shank founded Jazz Port Townsend, originally called the Bud Shank Jazz Workshop, at the fort. The workshop has grown into an immersive, week-long festival and educational experience; a destination for local and national jazz musicians and fans each summer.
“Jazz Port Townsend has been a critical centerpiece of Centrum since 1975. We hope and expect it will remain one of our top two or three programs in terms of size and scale,” Birman told KNKX in an email.
Beyond the jazz workshop, Centrum has welcomed many award-winning writers and musicians onto the grounds for various other programs and events over the last five decades. Notable visitors include writers Ursula Le Guin, Tom Robbins and Ken Kesey, along with musicians like Diana Krall and Wynton Marsalis. This summer, Bonnie Raitt is scheduled to perform as part of a benefit concert for Centrum.
Progress and change
With their home secured for decades into the future, Centrum is ushering in several big changes.
From now on, Centrum will take over the managing and programming of Wheeler Theatre and McCurdy Pavillion, two major venues on the Olympia Peninsula that are utilized for workshops, performances, and music festivals like Jazz Port Townsend and Seattle Theater Group’s THING festival, which took place there three times.
Centrum will also be renovating and modernizing all the Fort’s facilities under this lease, including these two main stages and a handful of classroom and meeting spaces.
“If we do our best work, and improve the facilities at the Fort, many thousands of future artists and learners will benefit 50 to 100 years from now based on the investments we will be making in the next 10-20 years,” Birman said.
Birman would know: He’ll be stepping down as Centrum’s executive director shortly to move into a new role focused on overseeing renovations and fundraising.
“Mind you, Washington state owns all of the buildings at Fort Worden. Centrum owns nothing. But the new agreement allows us to deliver private philanthropy to maintain and upgrade the facilities so that the public use and benefit can expand,” Birman said, adding that Centrum envisions more ADA-accessible, modern, and energy-efficient spaces at the Fort.
As Birman shifts gears, Centrum will soon begin a national search for a new executive director. To ensure a smooth transition, Birman will remain in his role until the organization’s new executive director is chosen.
As for how Centrum’s next chapter may impact the beloved Jazz Port Townsend, Birman said their approach to artistic decision-making, including the recent appointment of a new artistic director for Jazz Port Townsend, won’t shift. What this new deal will do, is elevate the experience of attending programs like Jazz Port Townsend at the Fort.
“Thinking in decades rather than years allows us to preserve buildings, support artists, and deepen our public mission,” Birman said. “Our goal is for Centrum—and Fort Worden as a cultural place—to thrive 50 to 100 years from now.”
