BRATTLEBORO — In-Sight Photography Project capped its 25th anniversary year with the April 5 purchase of a new home and is well on the way to successfully executing a $500,000 capital campaign to complete the acquisition and renovation of its brand new arts and education facility at 183 Main St.
Now, according to a news release, In-Sight says it is working to convert the former Mocha Joe's coffee roasting facility into a 3,300-square-foot arts education and gallery facility with more space to accommodate growing programs and an emphasis on accessibility to better serve the community.
The $330,000 renovation project is expected to start in September and be completed in time for In-Sight's winter class sessions in February 2019. In-Sight and its Exposures Cross-Cultural Youth Arts Program provide classes in photography to youth ages 11-18, regardless of ability to pay.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand,” says In-Sight's executive director, Victoria Heisler. “In-Sight's mission has always been to provide financially accessible programing for youth, and with this new building we are ensuring that classes can now be more physically accessible as well.”
In-Sight provides the tools and techniques for students to document their personal stories and the stories around them as well as express themselves through the visual arts. The new site will provide more resources for participants, volunteers, and the broader community - such as a welcoming classroom space, a gallery, a state-of-the-art digital lab, a brand new darkroom, offices, and a photography studio.
“Converting a coffee roasting plant into a first-class arts and education environment for our students and the whole community has been an eye-opening experience,” said Ilene Todd, president of the In-Sight board of directors. “We are fortunate to have the expertise of architect Robert Adams, who has worked with us pro bono to develop a very exciting set of plans. Bob and Joe Fortier of GPI Construction will supervise the project."
In-Sight has been at its present location at 45 Flat Street for 18 years, but Todd and Heisler say it has been clear for several years that it had outgrown the space and needed a new home.
“After consulting with all interested parties, most importantly our participants and their families, we learned that being downtown was of paramount importance. We conducted a pretty extensive search and then learned that Pierre and Ellen Capy, owners of Mocha Joe's, were looking to move their roasting operation from its present location in the space behind A Candle in the Night. As soon as Pierre and Ellen showed us their space, we knew it would be perfect for In-Sight,” Todd said.
The move is a dream come true for In-Sight's founding director, John Willis.
“Twenty-five years ago, Bill Ledger and I founded In-Sight Photography Project with the intention of offering youth a one-time 10-week course,” Willis said.
According to the news release, the interest of young people in the community, coupled with generous community support, has allowed In-Sight to keep offering programs, operate year-round and continue to grow and thrive for 25 years, honoring its original vision of offering programs to all youth regardless of ability to pay.