The West Sterling Schoolhouse opened in 1886 and operated for almost 50 years. The art exhibition will serve as a fundraiser for much-needed renovations.
CREDIT: Danielle Ray
By Alison Sullivan
The Sterling Historical Commission will hold an art exhibition to support the West Sterling Schoolhouse, the last one-room schoolhouse in town.
The event will serve as a fundraiser to improve and maintain the 135-year-old building, as well as a showcase for the many artists in and around Sterling, according to Lindsey Van Gieson, board member of the Sterling Historical Commission. This is part of the Commission’s larger effort to celebrate Sterling’s 240th anniversary, and is funded in part by a grant from the Sterling Cultural Council.
“It’s a free exhibition, but we’d like to raise awareness and ask people to donate,” said Van Gieson.
The Historical Commission hopes to use the schoolhouse, which functioned from 1886 until a central school opened in 1935, as both a meeting place for the town and a reminder of Sterling’s history, according to Van Gieson.
Another board member, David Gibbs, “will do tours to teach kids what class in a one-room schoolhouse was like,” she said.
The art exhibit will be free, but attendees can make donations that will go towards painting, masonry, cleaning, and maintaining the schoolhouse. Van Gieson hopes the event can take place in-person, but the Historical Commission is preparing for any changes necessary to make the showcase safe for artists and visitors alike.
“Ideally we would be able to have the show open from 12:00 – 3:00 each day, but if there are [COVID-19] restrictions I can set up sign-ups so we can control how people will flow through,” said Van Gieson. Artists do not need to live in Sterling to participate, but submissions must have Sterling as a central theme or location. Submissions are due at www.inspiresterling.com by April 1, 2021. The exhibit will be open to the public from June 4 – June 6, 2021.