Harry Martin Heritage Arts Studio

What is the Harry Martin Heritage Arts Studio?

Blackstone River Theatre announced the renaming of its educational arts initiative as the Harry Martin Heritage Arts Studio on November 26, 2023. With a desire for his family, friends, and our community to know how honored we are to have received Harry’s extremely generous estate donation, we couldn’t think of a better way to honor his legacy of lifelong learning. Harry’s generosity and kindness of spirit will help Blackstone River Theatre bring music and arts education to our community for many years to come as we further expand learning opportunities in our community. While continuing our current offerings, expect to see additional class ideas, one-off workshops with traveling artists performing at BRT, student collaborations, and scholarship opportunities for those in need.

Harry’s House

Listen to the waltz “Harry’s House” commissioned by Blackstone River Theatre to honor Harry Martin and composed and performed by Hanneke Cassel.

Harry Martin was a long-time friend as well as a patron and supporter from the earliest days of Blackstone River Theatre. I visited him several times towards the end when hospice was over, along with his partner Ellen (who now volunteers at BRT), and I always found myself telling my wife that I was “going over to Harry’s house…” Harry gifted Blackstone River Theatre an incredibly generous estate donation for which we dedicated our classes and education initiative to him by renaming them The Harry Martin Heritage Arts Studio.

Harry loved music. He loved being with friends enjoying the experience together … And he loved Blackstone River Theatre. A very frequent patron of BRT, Harry also never missed a Solstice Festival and would always be on hand helping during the setup preparations. If you knew Harry, you remember he always had a kind word, a gentle smile, and a mischievous chuckle. He loved being a part of the BRT family … and we certainly felt the same toward him. Harry’s generosity will enable Blackstone River Theatre to further share his gift through our Harry Martin Heritage Arts Studio classes for many years to come. With this gift, which was given “to keep doing what you do, the way you have done it,” Blackstone River Theatre is indeed very much “Harry’s House.”

Hanneke Cassel is a Blackstone River Theatre favorite and is well known as an incredible fiddler and composer of tunes. For many years, she has been accepting commissions to be written for a special someone if the “recipient” directly donates to an organization that she has long supported, called Many Hopes, which rescues children from poverty and abuse and raises them with an imagination for justice and the tools to act on it. Please visit their site: manyhopes.org … It is an amazing organization.