Publisher's Note

Winter. In a summer resort such as Nantucket, it is the time of year when we recharge our batteries, reconnect with island friends, travel, take time for cultural pursuits and enjoy the natural beauty of our island, so poignant in the off-season.

This issue of Nantucket Today touches all those bases.

Walk into town on a winter's eve and you'll find all is quiet, save for a few restaurants and bars that remain open and the activity surrounding the tall white building with the columns across from the post office. In the past decade, the Nantucket Atheneum has become much more than the town's library, founded 176 years ago. This building and the activities within have become the cultural center of downtown with films, lectures, staged play readings, human chess and much, much more. Josh Balling writes about how the Atheneum has transformed itself for the 21st century, serving a wide and varied constituency, while remaining the island's lending library. Turn to page 28 to read more.

One of the partnerships the Atheneum has forged this winter is with the island's theater company, Theatre Workshop of Nantucket. The 56-year-old theater troupe, which operates out of the Methodist Church and Bennett Hall, puts on half a dozen productions a year, including children's theater. Laura Gallagher Byrne, who has acted professionally in New York as well as on Nantucket, and taught in the school system, is responsible for generating an enormous amount of interest in theater among Nantucket's youth. Last year she directed "Captain Louie" and "Madeline's Christmas," and this year she takes on directing one of the most popular children's stories of all time – "Peter Pan" – which will run for three weeks in November and December, with a cast of 50 island children. Jill Evarts profiles Gallagher Byrne on page 18.

While performance art is thriving, so too are the visual arts. The Artists Association of Nantucket has been supporting island artists for 65 years, providing a venue to showcase their art, while hosting juried exhibitions, classes and workshops. Josh Gray, who covers the arts for The Inquirer and Mirror, writes about the AAN beginning on page 36.

When winter winds blow and send a chill through the air, there is no better way to warm up at the end of the day than by savoring a cup of hot tea. There is an art and ceremony to taking tea, complete with scones, savories and tea sandwiches, and I write about that on page 40 while providing a few of my favorite recipes.

Islanders love to travel far and wide. It is not unusual to hear their stories of being halfway around the world and bumping into a fellow Nantucketer. Susan Simon, noted cookbook author and food columnist for The Inquirer and Mirror, has traveled extensively to Morocco and last year released a shopping guide on this exotic country of kasbahs and couscous. Turn to page 48 to get Susan's personal recommendations on traveling and shopping Morocco with recipes that will transport your taste buds to this far-away land.

MARIANNE R. STANTON

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

Photo by Nicole harnishfeger

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