Owners of Provincetown’s Crown & Anchor celebrated for their commitment to the arts
May 6, 2024 (Cape Cod, MA) – Four years ago, Jonathan Hawkins reached out to the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod to find a way to support artists on the Outer Cape whose livelihoods were threatened by the pandemic. It led to the creation of the Provincetown Performing Arts Fund which provided nearly $75,000 in emergency assistance for artists who had lost work and income due to Covid-19 shutdowns.
“Our introduction to Jonathan and Paolo occurred as the pandemic laid bare the fragility of the arts,” said Arts Foundation Executive Director Julie Wake. “Their generosity came at a time when those most vulnerable in the sector, our artists, were hurting and needed help. It was a reminder of how important artists are to the Cape’s creative economy and how necessary it is to ensure they have access to the tools, resources, and support to remain a part of our community.”
The Arts Foundation used Hawkins and his husband Paolo Martini’s approach as a guide to redesigning the Creative Exchange in 2022. The program provides personal and professional development to artists, arts leaders, and individuals who work in the art sector, helping them build the resilience they need to achieve financial sustainability and pursue purposeful careers in the arts.
“The influence that Jonathan and Paolo have had on our work and on the arts cannot be overstated,” Wake said. “They have served as a beacon for the profound difference individuals can have in our community when they make giving a priority in their lives.”
On Thursday, June 6th, the Arts Foundation will celebrate the couple’s impact at its Arts Gala at the Hyannisport Club. Hawkins and Martini, who own the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, have been named Honorary Chairs of the organization’s annual fundraiser.
“This is obviously a huge honor for both of us,” said Hawkins. “Our relationship with the Arts Foundation has only grown and blossomed into something beautiful that has allowed both their organization and ours to flourish in ways neither of us expected.”
A longtime singer and music producer, Hawkins first arrived in Provincetown as an entertainer a decade ago. While he still performs — he recently was the singing coach for Julia Lemigova in the latest season of The Real Housewives of Miami on Bravo — giving back to other artists has been the most fulfilling aspect of his work in the arts.
Through the Crown & Anchor, Hawkins and Martini have been able to offer artists a space to perform, exhibit their work, and entertain audiences. “I truly believe art is the fabric of Provincetown,” said Hawkins. “The community would not be nearly as colorful and bright without the arts. And it’s the artists who make Provincetown what it is.”
It is why both he and Martini, who recently retired after spending nearly nine years at Moderna where he was the company’s Chief Scientific Officer, were so excited to be recognized by the Arts Foundation.
The pair are lending their time and talents to crafting the nonprofit’s Arts Gala in June. “What is going to be different this year is that people are going to come face to face, not only with art, but with artists. It is going to be an immersive experience, and each and every person who attends is going to see firsthand what the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod does – they are going to feel it and see it,” Hawkins said. “Everyone is going to know who the Arts Foundation is and what they do and what they stand for.”
He emphasized the importance of supporting organizations like the Arts Foundation, whose programs encompass all of the arts throughout the entire Cape. “Without the arts, we have nothing. I think supporting the arts at its very core is supporting humanity,” Hawkins said. “Nationwide, it is the arts that keep things alive, which is why it is so important to have an organization like the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod here in our own community.”
This year’s Arts Gala is being sponsored by William Raveis Real Estate; the Crown & Anchor; Josh Cellars; Cape Cod Healthcare; Bonhams Skinner; Rescom Architectural; Dellbrook | JKS; and TD Bank.
About the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod
Founded in 1987, the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s mission is to support and strengthen a vibrant arts and cultural sector for everyone in the region. It fulfills its mission by funding grants; by increasing access to arts and culture in the region for all on Cape Cod; by advocating for more awareness on the impact the Cape’s creative economy has on our region and beyond; and by building a strong arts community network through membership as well as professional development opportunities that fall under its Creative Exchange program.
