About Dissolution
How did this happen?
Back in 2019 we decided to take a one-year break from wrangling the nineteen-ring circus known as Greenwood Fest, putting on the only-slightly-less-ambitious Spoon Day that August instead. Three years of pandemic and a lot of soul-searching later, it turns out that that "one-year break," well, broke CRAFT.
Since COVID came to town, the number of CRAFT courses executed (Tim Manney’s shaving horse, The Plymouth Tapestry Experience, two JoJo Wood spoon courses and one more Spoon Day) was far exceeded by the number of Plymouth CRAFT courses scheduled, populated with eager patrons, then contagion-canceled … time and again…and again. Not only was this experience dispiriting, but it gave us an opportunity to notice just how much time and effort went into even the most fruitless nonexistent course… and how many other things — important/beloved things— that we were not doing with our puny little lives when we were playing administrator games.
Even the carving courses that went so successfully last year brought a rude comprehension that our pandemic-adjusted lives no longer have as much room in them for the work required to run Plymouth CRAFT the way we want it to run. Plymouth CRAFT board meetings began to feature discussions on this topic — how to reallocate work, bring in help from outside, etc., but each solution brought more problems.
We are aware that many people will be disappointed to hear that Plymouth CRAFT as we’ve known it is coming to an end. In thinking back to all our events and the wonderful people—instructors, students, community parters and board members— we’ve met through CRAFT since 2014, WE certainly feel that loss, too. But those friendships and experiences remain with us and we’re grateful for the incredible support you showed us during our time together.
Thinking about those connections now, we are overwhelmed with the gifts we received from our Plymouth CRAFT years — getting to know and begin to appreciate so many talented and thoughtful instructors and students. Working with the leadership at the Plymouth Public Library Foundation, we hope that those connections will take us all in surprising and inspiring new directions.
“Community” is a word that gets tossed around a lot these days, but it was very moving to see one develop right under our noses. We didn’t create it, nor will the closing of Plymouth CRAFT dissolve it.
We wish you the very best, hope you will join the new mailing list so that we can stay in touch, and look forward to the next time our paths cross, whether digitally or in the flesh.
Best,
Peter Follansbee & Paula Marcoux