Great Hall of Springfield

The Great Hall of Springfield

By Arlene Distler

Clearly it takes a village––and town––to make a first-class art space. With the transforming of the defunct Fellows Gear Shaper Factory from an abandoned and derelict shell into the medical center-retail-art space that it is today, has taken vision, patience, and selflessness on the part of many. Springfield has done it right and done itself proud.

The opening of the new, airy, and spacious Great Hall on July 20th was a joyful occasion. In keeping with the spirit of the whole enterprise, the opening was not reserved for the arts crowd or the town leaders. It was open to the public and the public showed up. One celebrator noted there were “people from all walks,” united by a desire to see their town turn around.

The project, symbol of the need to “create a new identity” for itself, as Bob Flint, head of Springfield Development, put it, the Great Hall arts venue is a significant feather in the cap of the town and the entire southeastern Vermont region. As Vermont Arts Council head Alex Aldrich enthused, “Vermont has not seen a new arts venue in a generation. Now, within a year, we have two!” (referring to Vermont Institute of Contemporary Art, in nearby Chester)… He predicts the two venues together will amplify their draw as regional destination “anchors.”

Long a star in the world of precision tooling, Springfield, along with Windsor, a short distance up the Connecticut River, had so many tooling factories that this part of Vermont was known as “Precision Valley.” And Fellows Gear-Shaper was one of the best. It came into its own as the nascent automobile industry took off, early in the twentieth century. By World War 11, Edwin Fellow’s company employed 3,300 and its machines, which made components for aircraft engines, tanks, cameras, instruments, etc. were in defense contractor plants all over the country.

But then came hard times.

The business moved to North Springfield in 1960, and the town eventually took possession of the complex, which was comprised of the main brick building and an assortment of wooden structures that were torn down at the beginning of the renovation project. “Of the three tool-making factories, this is the one I cared about most,” said Flint. “First we stabilized it, then we marketed it. During the course of 2006-7 over 20 developers looked at it.”

The developers with the vision and funds to make it happen turned out to be Rick Genderson and John Meekin, who are based in Washington, D.C. Said  Meekin, “I thought it was wonderful––as close as we could get to a cathedral!” He was referring to the line of clerestory windows along the whole length of the building, allowing daylight to stream in without glare . “The only thing missing,” he said with a wry grin, “is the altar.”

The Great Hall is 150′ by 45′, and the ceiling is 25′ high, yet it is far from cold or sterile. The fiber artists were the first ones lined up for the debut show, appropriately titled, “Emergence.” Smart choice – the woven pieces add warmth, color, and a celebratory air.

The show takes full advantage of the room’s generous dimensions. Brattleboro-based artist Scot Borofsky’s “Stepped Mountain” series shows beautifully here. Stylized, semi-abstracts in oil on linen, their lost paradise of mountains and waterfalls fading into mists hang high in the hall, take full possession of their majesty.

Carolyn Enz Hack of Thetford Center has large sculptures made of Hi- Tech Kozo paper, wire, and mixed media. One of this artist’s pieces occupies a prime spot, situated at the end of a raised platform, an area that seems, in fact, like an altar. And no wonder. It is both a simple and powerful construction – the rich colors are icing on the cake. By the end of the opening, it had been sold.

Close-up renderings of flowers that make you feel as if you are inside them, by Robert O’Brien in watercolor, and Robert Carsten in pastel, complimented each other and brought their wall alive with vibrant tone and shape.

The fabric artists in Emergence make up a group known as Tapestry Weavers of New England (TWiNE) which is comprised of Suzanne Pretty of Farmington, NH, Betsy Wing of Hartland, Sarah Warren of Jefferson, NH., Eve Pearce, and Cilla Alden. Sarah Warren’s “On the Move” and Betsy Wing’s “Source 1” are understated and elegant as is most of the fiber work in the show.

Perfect for the large space as well are the person-size stoneware vessels by Stephen Proctor. In various spots throughout the hall, they seem like ancient ritual containers embodying mystery and wonder.

The sculptures of Oliver Schemm, like large shiboleths made from wood and other natural materials (including a very large interactive sculpture that would seem to be inspired by carnival strength-testing gongs!); mobiles by Patty Sgrecci, and oil paintings by Rick Hearn round out the show.

I remarked on the astute choice of work for inclusion in “Emergence” to ceramist Steve Proctor. He directed me to a petite woman chatting with a group of people nearby. “She brought the artists together,” he said, nodding her way.

Nina Jamison, who started, and curates the VAULT Gallery in downtown Springfield, is, according to many, the one who “took the ball and ran with it.” Talking with her I discovered very soon she is selfless, hard working and also very modest. Taking a few moments away from her enthusiastic meet-and-greets, she spoke of the experience getting Great Hall up and running. “I’ve gotten advice from a lot of people. Lynn (Barrett) was there for me. The developers and Bob Flint––I wanted to bring their vision to life. Their passion triggered mine.” She beamed when recounting the excitement even the carpenters and electricians felt. “They loved working on it. Steve, an electrician, one day said to me, ‘This is the Super Bowl of Springfield!'” She glowed too when she told me about Carolyn Enz Hack’s choosing the Great Hall over Dartmouth-Hitchcock to show work she’d made through a grant, the Windows on Art Project. “It kept growing. Serendipity takes over. I go with it!”

Behind the Great Hall flows the Black River, the waterway that powered Springfield’s many factories a century earlier. Owing to repeated flooding, a dam was built upstream. Now, there is a gentle flow that reveals the smooth, tiered rocks beneath it. This trip to One Hundred River Street is the first time I’ve truly seen it.

Photo Credit, third picture: Photo by Joe Manning, http://www.morningsonmaplestreet.com