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Come to The Bascom
Written By: Lin Sheffield - The Bascom | Issue: 2017/09 - September
I wonder how many visitors to Highlands know about our fabulous Bascom Art Center.
Driving out of town toward Franklin it sits on the right side of Franklin Road. Turn in at the historic 1800s Will Henry Stevens covered bridge, moved here from Warner, New Hampshire, and you have arrived at the beautiful lush and green six-acre campus that holds the main building, Dave Drake Pottery Studio Barn, plus a wonderful trail that connects to
the Greenway.
The main building is a Dewolf and Lord, Aeck & Sargent design – 27,500 square feet of museum-quality space, combining the large 1838 hand-hewn, mostly white oak, post-and-beam Ester barn with modern materials including stone
and glass.
Visitor and educational amenities include galleries filled with extraordinary exhibitions, studio classrooms offering a variety of art mediums, Fresh Rosemary’s Café serving freshly-made lunches and desserts, a gift shop filled with unique treasures, beautiful reception and meeting spaces, and a pleasantly shaded terrace with beautiful views.
The Dave Drake Pottery Barn, named for the slave potter Dave Drake boasts roughhewn beams and vaulted ceilings. Here you’ll find a complete pottery studio that offers three-dimensional arts instruction, state-of-the-art equipment and outdoor terraces for creating unique clay art. There are also unique pottery pieces created by our students on sale daily to
the public.
The outdoor campus is a rolling landscape of meadows, gardens, a cool stream, walking trails, sculptural installations and unblemished mountain views. It is a perfect place to take a walk and view the installed sculptures and storywalk, have a picnic at the shelter by the stream, or do plein air painting!
If you have never visited The Bascom, please stop in! We’re located at 323 Franklin Road and our hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 10:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. and Sunday from noon until 5:00 P.M.
