THE ASHLEY BRYAN CENTER

FISCAL YEAR 2024 CONTINUED TO BE PRODUCTIVE FOR THE ASHLEY BRYAN CENTER. THE EXHIBITION FOCUSING ON BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD CONTINUED AT THE MAINE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM AND THEATER. WE LEARNED FROM THE ERIC CARLE MUSEUM OF PICTURE BOOK ART THAT WORK BY ASHLEY IS THE SECOND MOST REQUESTED AFTER ERIC CARLE, AND HIS ART WAS INCLUDED IN TWO EXHIBITIONS THERE. THERE WERE NO OTHER EXHIBITIONS THAT WE KNOW OF THAT INCLUDED ASHLEY'S WORK. THE CENTER HONORED ITS COMMITMENT TO EMPTYING THE CONTENTS OF ASHLEY'S HOUSE. THE TOYS AND OTHER ITEMS HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY HIS NIECE VANESSA ROBINSON FOR DISPERSAL, AND THE REMAINING ART WAS RELOCATED TO THE NOW SECURE SPACE ADJACENT TO THE STORYTELLER PAVILION. IN JULY, SAMUEL JAMES DELIVERED THE ASHLEY BRYAN HONORARY LECTURE AT THE JESUP MEMORIAL LIBRARY IN BAR HARBOR, MAINE. THE SUBJECT WAS "STORYTELLING, AUTHENTICITY AND RACE IN AMERICA." IN DECEMBER, THE BOSTON POPS AUGMENTED THEIR HOLIDAY PROGRAM - THE GOOD NEWS VOYAGE - WITH THE CENTERPIECE OF THAT YEAR'S PROGRAM COMPRISING A NEW WORK, PERFORMED BY THE TANGLEWOOD FESTIVAL CHORUS, BY LOCAL COMPOSER DAVID COLEMAN, BASED ON ASHLEY BRYAN'S BOOK CAROL OF THE BROWN KING, FEATURING THE POEMS OF LANGSTON HUGHES AND PROJECTION OF BRYAN'S WONDERFUL ILLUSTRATIONS. THE CENTER DONATED FOUR LINOCUTS FROM HIS SPIRITUAL BOOKS TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND NICK CLARK DONATED TWO FROM HIS PERSONAL COLLECTION TOTHE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BOSTON. THIS CONSTITUTED AN IMPORTANT STEP IN PLACING ASHLEY'S WORK IN MAJOR MUSEUMS. THERE WERE CONTINUED ONGOING REQUESTS TO REPRODUCE ASHLEY'S WORK IN MAGAZINES RANGING FROM GENERAL INTEREST PERIODICALS TO MORE SPECIALIZED PUBLICATIONS. AS WELL, NUMEROUS SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES AROUND THE COUNTRY REQUESTED THE USE OF IMAGES OF ASHLEY'S WORKS IN PUBLIC PROGRAMS. THE CENTER COOPERATED FULLY TO ACCOMMODATE THESE VARIOUS REQUESTS AS WELL AS OTHER INQUIRIES DRIVEN BY AWARENESS OF THE CENTER THROUGH THE WEBSITE. THE STORYTELLER PAVILION CONTINUED TO ENGAGE VISITORS, WITH DOCENTS ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE, THE PAVILION WELCOMED OVER 1,300 VISITORS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER. THE PAVILION REDUCED ITS HOURS FROM 42 HOURS 10 -4 SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AFTER LABOR DAY TO 20 HOURS 11-3 FIVE DAYS A WEEK, AND AFTER COLUMBUS DAY, IT WAS OPEN BY APPOINTMENT. THE EXPANDED PAVILION OPENED ON JULY 1, 2024. WE HAD 4 EVENTS AT THE PAVILION IN SUMMER OF 2024- ALL FOUR OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. FOLLOWING THE OVER-ARCHING THEME OF "MUSIC- AND HOSTED BY THOM HEYER, ISLESFORD SUMMER RESIDENT AND A BOARD MEMBER WITH A DEEP CONNECTION TO ASHLEY BRYAN, THE ABC HELD 3 PRESENTATIONS BY AARON GREEN( A CLASSICAL GUITARIST AND SPANISH GUITAR MAKER), NATE SHAW ( A COMPOSER, MUSICIAN, AND TEACHER), AND CHRISTINA SPURLING AND ERIC THOMAS (A PIANIST AND CLARINETIST, RESPECTIVELY). FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATIONS, A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD INVITED AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. FURTHER, WE HOSTED A 4TH EVENT, MODERATED BY RICK BENJAMIN, WHERE KAREN DOLAN READ FROM HER MANUSCRIPT ON RAISING A TRANSGENDER CHILD. A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD INVITED AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. ALL THE EVENTS WERE EXTREMELY WELL ATTENDED WITH SEATING TO CAPACITY.