LUDLOW, Vt. – Over the past two years, Create Together at Fletcher Farm has undergone massive changes and growth. The organization shifted from a residential art center to a community art center focused on making creative experiences accessible to locals and visitors alike. During this time, Create Together has functioned with bare-bones staff, relying heavily on volunteerism to operate and reimagine itself entirely.
Two interim executive directors, Susan Damone Balch and Kathryn Svec, donated countless hours to the organization to see it through its early financial times. After 14 years with the organization, Balch stepped down in May to focus her energy on quilting and sewing in the Create Together studios. That’s when Svec stepped in to grow Create Together’s new vision for a creative community gathering place. “Over the past six months, I have enjoyed building Create Together at Fletcher Farm into the blossoming community arts center it is today,” Svec said of her time as executive director. “I am immensely proud of the work we have done, and profoundly grateful to our dedicated volunteers and community members who make Create Together a special place to be.”
Today, Create Together is a growing success, with six fully equipped studio spaces and an expanding array of workshops and classes. To oversee this next phase of growth for the organization, the board of directors hired a full-time managing director, Charlotte Galley, to take the reins. Galley comes with diverse leadership experience and a unique creative spark. “I am thrilled to join Create Together at Fletcher Farm and become part of this vibrant community. After moving to Ludlow, I quickly discovered Create Together and its merry band of creative and hardworking volunteers,” Galley said. “I was truly inspired by the spirit of this organization.” Galley noted that Create Together would not exist today without the dedication and tireless hard work of her predecessors, Balch and Svec, as well as that of volunteer and current Board President Pollyanna Sidell. As for Svec, she will continue to volunteer for Create Together, focusing on facilitating community engagement and outreach.
Galley’s professional experience as a chef and environmental policy advocate make her an asset to our budding community art center. “My professional journey has always been an exploration of sustainability and community. I spent 15 years navigating environmental policy on Capitol Hill – an experience that taught me how to drive large-scale impact – before channeling that passion for localism into the culinary arts,” described Galley. “As a chef, educator, and advocate, I’ve learned that the most meaningful work happens at the intersection of diverse talents.” This experience will serve her well at Create Together, where artists from different disciplines come together to create unique, creative, and skill-building experiences for people of all backgrounds and abilities.
For more information about Create Together at Fletcher Farm, and ways to get involved, visit www.createtogethervt.org, or call/text 802-228-8770.