In 1968, an enterprising group of artists, writers and supporters, including Robert Motherwell, joined forces to create a gathering space for those embarking upon a journey in creative pursuits. The result was Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, which has been host to emerging artists and writers including Roger Skillings and Nobel Prize-winning poet Louise Glück. Poet Mary Oliver served as an early member of the center’s Writing Committee, while Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and current U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón also number among the alumni.

Residency programs are available, and during summer months, the public is invited to enjoy a variety of opportunities ranging from exhibitions, free nightly readings, a salon series, and a selection of courses taught by some of the world’s most celebrated writers and artists.

Here’s a taste of what’s coming up (visit the website for details):

© Robert Benson

Over the course of four weekends through Sept. 8, the Summer Salons series features workshops and conversations led by poets Tracy K. Smith, Major Jackson, Jane Hirshfield, Roger Reeves, photographer/artist Catherine Opie, author Sarah Schulman and journalist Peter Slevin. Curated by Helen Molesworth, these weekends will kick off with a Friday evening reception and include an unmoderated conversation and audience question-and-answer session. Saturday afternoons will offer a 10-person workshop and a larger, online Zoom workshop.

Through Aug. 23, Edge Connection, the center’s summer exhibit, will be on view. Curated by Matt Bollinger, a past Visual Arts Fellow, the exhibition is presented in the Hudson D. Walker Gallery and features works by 10 former fellows including Sam Messer, Lisa Yuskavage, Simonette Quamina and Agnes Walden.

On Aug. 23, Former Fellow and Pulitzer Prize Winner Michael Cunningham (The Hours, Picador; First Edition 2000) will be on hand for a conversation with Ben Shattuck, curator and author of The History of Sound (Viking, 2024).