Grafton- Apple Tree Arts received the Priscilla Mason Award for Cultural Contribution at a recent reception hosted by Alternatives Unlimited, Inc. and ValleyCast at the G.B. and Lexi Singh Performance Center at the Whitin Mill in Whitinsville.
Apple Tree Arts, a nonprofit community school of the arts, was founded 24 years ago in Grafton. The organization's mission, according to a press release, “is to enrich the community through the arts by providing high-quality educational music and theatre arts programs. The school provides a wide range of performances, special musical and theatre arts events year-round.”
“Apple Tree Arts has been on our radar for a while,” David G. Kmetz, chairman of ValleyCast, a nonprofit cultural organization that stands for Blackstone Valley Culture, Arts, Science Together, said at the ceremony. “With their legacy of almost a quarter of a century providing outstanding music and theatre art programs to individuals of all ages, the organization was a perfect choice for the award.”
The award is named for Priscilla Mason, a member of the Whitin family that built the Whitin textile empire.
Harry T. Whitin, a cousin of Priscilla Mason and seventh-generation descendent member of the Whitin family, presented Apple Tree Arts with an original drawing and letter-art plaque by Whitinsville artist Maria Thomas.
“Art knows no boundaries. Apple Tree Arts understands that a strong community has built-in diversity. It's particularly fitting to give this award to them,” he said.
Donna Q. Blanchard, Apple Tree Arts executive director, accepted the award.
“We are enriching and connecting lives with the arts as we build a strong community with our music and theatre arts school. We bring people together by providing diverse styles of music to a broad cross section of the community,” she added.
Alternatives is a nonprofit human services agency currently serving over 2000 adults with developmental and psychiatric disabilities in 55 residential, employment and day programs throughout central Massachusetts. For more information about Alternatives visit ?www.alternatives.org or call at 508-234-6232.
ValleyCast is a nonprofit cultural organization of which Alternatives, a human service agency, is the lead partner. Its mission is to build a strong, inclusive and creative community through a celebration of history, arts and science of the Blackstone Valley and surrounding areas.
For more information on Apple Tree Arts visit www.appletreearts.org or call 508-839-4286.