The Cultural Center of Cape Cod — Attraction in Barnstable

Super cool art in a huge space that was formerly a bank. The large bank vault looks like something out of a 1920's movie, and the huge, polished metal door is open and houses a smaller exhibit, while the large, easily 3-story main room (which I imagined with long counters and bank tellers), houses paintings on the walls and a grand piano that looks tiny in the vast room. The side room had wooden furniture made by an artisan whose work was astonishing, melding old world craftsmanship with a modern eye to design, resulting in some of the most beautiful wood furniture I've ever seen. I believe that room rotates what it exhibits.

The very best part of the visit was Kit Kat, the resident stray who wandered in and stayed! He socializes with everyone he meets and is so chill! After a short introduction while he sat on a desk used for transactions and to give out information, I talked to him. He eyed me and then jumped down to lie on the cool floor. He let both me and my husband pet him and never got testy. After a while he went to the door and gazed out. I asked one of the people who were running the the place if he was allowed to go outside, and she said yes.

When we left and went to our car, Kit Kat seemed interested in something under an out building and was crawling underneath it to investigate - or perhaps have a nap! Don't miss this friendly guy if you go to the...

To Sigmund Freud's infamous observation, "Gender is destiny," when culture is involved, 'tis often "Social class is destiny." Put differently, in bourgeois society, can art and culture - and centers dedicated to their proliferation, escape the trappings of elitism and snobbishness that tend to shroud them? That's a tough one. And as with any dilemma, perhaps the initial hurdle is admitting, "Houston, we have a little problemo." Put most kindly, there are broad swarths of the Cape for which art is an exotica world. Will this Center make inroads there? Just...

I recently took a group of kids to the Cultural Center for a 4 week acting class and we had a great time! The acting instructor, Jess Emerson, was incredibly patient with our kids as they had a habit of being a bit distracted and rambunctious. She had our group participate in small bits of acting and ice breakers throughout the course and wrote an entire play that we acted out during the last class. I would recommend the Cultural Center to anyone looking to expand their...