The fifteen years our family lived in Staunton, Virginia, remain among our most important and treasured memories. We essentially began our married life in this wonderful Shenandoah Valley community when I took a job as Executive Director of Historic Staunton Foundation that would lead to a four-decade career in the nonprofit world of preservation. The twins were born during our time here, and we made lifelong friends we still see on a regular basis. The town continues to thrive in part because of the dedication of a group of citizens who know that great communities don’t remain that way by chance.

I know—from personal experience—that Staunton is a place where old and new came together . . . where natives welcome and embrace newcomers and their ideas and where new citizens learn about the traditions of the town. Historic Staunton Foundation provided the context where everyone now thinks about historic buildings, neighborhoods, and landscapes as tools for the future of the city, but there are many organizations and individuals who are involved in this work.

One of my favorite “new” campaigns in an “old” building in Staunton is The Arcadia Project. A non-profit community cultural center, Arcadia is restoring the historic New Theater building at 125 E. Beverly Street into a sustainable, adaptive mixed-use facility featuring a movie theater; an event space to host conferences, events, and performing arts; digital media classrooms; and a small specialty food café.

After stabilizing the exterior of the building, paying off a loan, and selling the adjacent property, Arcadia received a $1.5M grant from the Industrial Revitalization Fund which provides the core funding to renovate the 1936 theater. The group—led by a dynamic board and director—is currently fundraising to furnish, light, and equip what will become a permanent community cultural center in Staunton.

We’ve come to know Thom and Pam Wagner through our friends Margaret and Oakley Pearson. Thom—an Emmy Award-winning producer, writer and composer, and Pam, an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker—join us as we play music at the Pearsons on the Friday evening after Thanksgiving. They are part of the “new” contingent that continues to refresh Staunton year-after-year.

One of their innovative fundraising efforts is the Sponsor a Marquee Quote at the theatre. Sponsors can honor a business, birthday, anniversary, or loved one by giving the gift of inspiration: a quote from a famous creator. The selected quote appears on the marquee for one month and the sponsors are recognized in the sidewalk display case. 

Candice and I decided we wanted to help out and sponsor a quote, and Thom placed our inspirational message on the marquee last Wednesday, May 1st! We’re now smiling at the folks in Staunton who walk by the project this month.

And for our quote, we chose the “instructions for life” by one of our favorite poets: Mary Oliver. You’ve seen it here before in MORE TO COME, and now our friends and other visitors to Staunton will be able to be inspired by it for the entire month of May.

Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.

That’s a great way to discover and celebrate the wonder in the world.

Thanks to the Wagners and all the supporters who are bringing this great landmark back to life.

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UPDATE: Pam sent along this photograph with the message “looks even cooler at night!” Couldn’t agree more!

More to come . . .

DJB

Photo of the Arcadia Project from TheArcadiaProject.org by Adam Rosen