PORT TOWNSEND — Since opening in 1973, Fort Worden State Park has built a reputation as an arts center but still has significant untapped potential, according to a presentation given to the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce on Monday.

“We’ve done of great things in 43 years, but we want to grow and innovate,” said Rob Birman, who is beginning his fourth year as Centrum’s executive director.

“Our goal us to be propelled by a future vision and not pushed by the past.”

Since its establishment, Centrum has followed a unique model of offering intensive week-long programs where participants can learn an artistic endeavor from leaders in that field, including jazz, blues, voice, fiddle and writing.

Room for more

Birman said there is room for more programs, both artistically and physically.

“There are no buildings in Fort Worden that can’t be used as a classroom,” he said.

“We have a lot of vacant space, it’s like a canvas waiting to be painted.”

Centrum has added programs along the way, most recently a ukulele festival that is already sold out for its third year from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, and a Kitchen Culture program that celebrated Cajun food and music in 2015 and will pick up again at an undetermined future date.

Birman is constantly thinking of new programs and has a list of ideas in his office, including clown school, cowboy painting and storytelling.

“We offer programs that are residential based, one week immersive experiences,” he said.

“It needs to be a topic that a multigenerational group will come here to study with the faculty, which will draw people to the county.”

Centrum has a $2.8 million annual budget, Birman said, and he has been able to raise the money to subsidize a new program before its beginning.

Most programs break even “more or less,” he said, and support their cost with some added overhead.

Birman is already planning for Centrum’s 50th anniversary in 2023.

“Seven years will pass just like that and if we don’t plan ahead we won’t be ready,” he said.

“Right now we are working on gathering the archives, which are sketchy. We want to gather them to produce a commemorative book for the anniversary program.”

The planning for the event will be accomplished with a combination of staff, board members and advisors.

New vans

A short-term improvement was the purchase of five new 12-passenger Nissan vans that were purchased with a $180,000 grant from the C. Keith Birkenfeld Memorial Trust, which is part of the Seattle Foundation.

The vans are wrapped with graphics highlighting five Centrum festivals: Jazz, Fiddle, Blues, Writing and Youth.

During the festivals, the vans will make scheduled runs to ferry terminals and other locations for attendees who are not staying overnight.

“During the summer, all the hotels are booked so this allows people from King County and Pierce County to just walk on the ferry and get home that night,” he said.

The vans will be open for use to nonprofits and community groups and will increase Centrum’s visibility around the region, he said.

For more information, go to centrum.org.

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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.