Welcome to the second annual ptownie Art Issue. Like all things ptownie, this art-filled magazine you hold in your hands is the inspiration of our publisher, Mike Miller. Mike’s vision for the issue is to celebrate art, and we do just that with full-page images that you don’t see much anymore.

Our gorgeous cover was commissioned from Mark Adams, and I think you’ll agree that it captures the joyous energy of summertime in Provincetown. And you’ll learn in his profile that Mark is more than just a talented painter.

In art galleries per square mile, Ptown must be at the top of any list. Here we’re profiling the people behind two of our myriad galleries. Berta Walker, of the eponymous Berta Walker Gallery, is a force in the art world whose passion for Provincetown artists is contagious. Over at Room 68, Brent Resfeld and Eric Portnoy have brought a contemporary focus to town with art that’s not just on the walls.

Music and performance are also a vital part of the cultural scene in Provincetown, and Great Music on Sundays @5 has given us more music for longer (25 years!) than just about anyone else.

One of the great things about our artsy town is that you’re not the least surprised to learn that the bartender who just made you a sublime cocktail is also a talented poet. But jc spece is just that guy, as you’ll see inside.

The impact of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) is enormous, and its reputation for excellence is justifiably outsized. We’re lucky to have PAAM CEO Christine McCarthy give us some insights into PAAM’s history and the critical role it plays in the Provincetown art colony.

If you love art and you love Provincetown, the Provincetown Arts Society (PAS) at the Mary Heaton Vorse House is the place for you. In just a few short years PAS has become central to the cultural life of the town, and its events are among the great joys of the summer.

Our neighbor to the south, the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill (just “Castle Hill” to its many students, supporters, and fans) has been offering an impressive array of classes and programming for the past 50 years. In the summertime it’s one of the few places that can motivate me to leave Ptown.

Some people insist that Provincetown is moribund in the winter, but I dare you to say that after you’ve spent January 7 with local artist and impresario Jay Critchley.

In a town by artists and for artists, the Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) is a jewel in the crown. Only at FAWC could you bump into a Nobel Prize winner and take classes from artists and writers that you thought you could admire only from afar.

And finally, we present three local artists who are each in their own way living their artistic dreams. You’ve seen Frankie Rice’s work all around town, though you may not know it. You won’t want to miss Dermot Meagher’s August show at the Commons. Then there’s me – I’m sincerely grateful to Mike Miller for insist- ing we include my work in this issue.

George Rogers – Arts Editor