Buttonwood Tree Fall 2023 Appeal

Dear Friends of The Buttonwood Tree,

Answers to “What is The Buttonwood Tree?” (and why it is important to keep it on the road of fiscal terra firma) as put forth by the founder, Susan Allison (1961-2018), in the very early days of our existence -

1. A place where the free exchange of ideas is encouraged, especially through artistic expression.
2. Not a so-called university, a Social Service Agency, a social club, a front for neo-quazi-communist revolutionaries or a grocery store.
3. A 501(c)3 non-profit (as in where the bottom line is not the balance sheet, but the public we serve-that’s you!)
4. An inlet and outlet, a port, for wandering, touring and local folks who are interested in arts of all brow-levels (high brow, low brow, etc...)
5. Like a tree, simply, where people gather to tell stories, play music together, tap, rap, celebrate, show-off, sit, compare lies…
6. A safe place for families and creativity.
7. A place which respects celebration but which finds endless celebration a bore.
8. A place where the “chain of command” is regularly ignored.
9. And, this is so much in the spirit of Susie, as she finishes with “… I have no idea.”

We on the Board of The Buttonwood Tree come to you with the intention of obtaining continued funding to ensure the spirit and vision of the founding tenets. These tenets form our foundation. Your time is finite and you have much to concentrate on as you wend your way through the days, so we will simply ask for your financial support, in any amount you can handle, and hope you’ll understand our needs and help us out.

Before we go, you may wonder, “is The Buttonwood Tree struggling”? Well, the simple answer is “Yes”. But, the longer answer is that we have struggled since we opened the doors as Ibis Books & Gallery in December of 1989 and became the non-profit we are about a year later. It comes with the territory of a community-based grassroots organization with ongoing limited resources. But, we are still here 30+ years later and we don’t intend to stop now. We are in new territory and the future is bright!

If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or simply wish to learn more please send us an email at thebuttonwoodtree@gmail.com, and one of our board members will contact you.

Please give thoughtful consideration to our request, and find a deep pocket for your contribution.

With heartfelt sincerity,

The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center

Checks: PO Box 71, Middletown, CT 06457