Centrum (arts organization)

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Centrum, located in Fort Worden State Park near Port Townsend, Washington, in Jefferson County is a multidisciplinary nonprofit arts organization that presents workshops and performances in a wide variety of artistic disciplines.

Port Townsend, Washington City in Washington, United States

Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,113 at the 2010 United States Census and an estimated 9,551 in 2017. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to its natural scenery at the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula, the city is known for the many Victorian buildings remaining from its late 19th-century heyday, numerous annual cultural events, and as a maritime center for independent boatbuilders and related industries and crafts. The Port Townsend Historic District is a U.S. National Historic Landmark District.

Jefferson County, Washington County in the United States

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,872. The county seat and only incorporated city is Port Townsend. The county is named for Thomas Jefferson.

Contents

Origin

Centrum was founded as a partnership between the Washington State Arts Commission, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. The first executive director was Joseph F. Wheeler. Early program directors included Bill Ransom and Sam Hamill.

Bill Ransom is a science fiction writer born in Puyallup, Washington in 1945.

Activities

While most programming is intergenerational, Centrum also provides a series of residential learning experiences that serve youth only. About one-third of Centrum workshop participants are 18 years old or younger. Centrum presents such programs as the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Jazz Port Townsend, the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival, and the Port Townsend Writers' Conference.

The Port Townsend Writers' Conference was founded in 1974 by novelist Bill Ransom. It is held every summer at Fort Worden State Park, within the city limits of Port Townsend, on the inner tip of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. The conference is presented by Centrum, the multidisciplinary arts organization that also presents Jazz Port Townsend, the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, and other week-long and weekend workshops and festivals.

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