After five years of creativity and community, The Merry Barn Literacy and Arts Center in Edgecomb will close its doors on Dec. 31. Merry Barn founder and executive director Stephanie McSherry said serving as a steward for the “magical place” gave her memories she will carry with her forever. (Photo courtesy Kim Traina)
The Merry Barn Literacy and Arts Center in Edgecomb will close its doors on Dec. 31. For the last five years, The Merry Barn has been a space where creativity and community have flourished. Through writing, music, visual arts, theater, and movement, community members have expressed themselves and connected with others.
The Merry Barn opened in the summer of 2019, after a complete renovation, which was recognized with a Maine Preservation Honor Award. To view a video created by Maine Preservation highlighting the barn’s past, and the extent of the renovations, go to bit.ly/3ZJdYfa.
The intent of the project was to preserve the history and magic of the barn’s previous iterations and to create an updated space where creativity in all its forms could be celebrated.
For more than a decade, Merry Barn Executive Director Stephanie McSherry, a longtime educator, had envisioned offering summer writing adventures for kids. Despite a pandemic, summer camps grew from three weeks to nine weeks of uniquely themed adventures in creativity, expanding to include kids from ages 6-14.
Vacation writing adventures and school field trips complimented the summer offerings and echoed the message of prominent literacy educator Donald Graves, “You have stories to tell.”
Thanks to many talented creatives and skillful educators, children were supported in taking risks and sending their voices into the world.
“All children should know, starting from a young age, that words have power … that their words have power,” McSherry said. “Those words and supporting actions have the power to create a more just, equitable, and compassionate world.”
The barn’s programming expanded to include numerous workshops and retreats. In addition, regular programming such as Community Writes!, community literacy events, The Sounding Board, Music at Merry Barn, the Tidal River Writers’ Group at the Lincoln Home, and an ongoing partnership with Storytree Theatre, allowed the barn to extend its reach to community members from 5 months to 95 years of age.
“What I want most to convey is the incredible gratitude I feel toward each person who has come to the Merry Barn to explore their own creativity and connect with others,” McSherry said. “Serving as the steward of this absolutely magical place has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I will carry the memories with me forever.”
Already scheduled programming at The Merry Barn will continue through December. After that, McSherry hopes to pass the torch to the next steward of the barn, who will usher it into a new era.
