1455 exists to serve anyone who appreciates the arts and is interested in the sort of community commonly found only in academia or online book clubs. Every day, 1455 will augment the passion for the literary and creative arts in adults and young people through programs that sponsor expression, education, and sharing of stories.

We understand that beyond having time and space to work, so many writers are derailed by a lack of solidarity. A community that advocates (and, on a more basic but crucial level, understands) creativity—how it happens, what it requires, who seeks to cultivate it more as calling than hobby—is essential. Each individual must ascertain and walk their unique path, but what all writers share is the need for support, in all its forms, and reassurance they’re not alone.

1455 believes diversity is strength, on the macro level (writing) and micro level (writers). As such, we want to work with fiction writers (very much including playwrights and screenwriters—the more genres the better), poets, and general non-fiction writers (including creative non-fiction, journalists, essayists, reporters, and critics), as well as storytellers spanning multiple genres. Our programming and events reflect this big tent sensibility, and we look forward to encouraging and showcasing work that evinces the multitudes art contains.

Our mission—now and going forward—is to celebrate and showcase creatives in general and writers in particular. We are dedicated to providing events, discussions, and opportunities to fans of the literary (and other) arts to meet and network. By design, all of 1455’s public programming is free. This includes our monthly Author Events, our 14:55 Interview series, our bi-monthly publication Movable Type, and our annual Summer Festival. In addition, we sponsor a workshop series that affords writers the opportunity to learn from established authors (all profits from these classes go directly to the instructors).

A longer-term goal is to establish a year-round retreat, serving up to 10 individuals at a time, providing them the time and space to create: a community center, a workshop space, a place of learning and creativity, and a vibrant space in support of stories and storytellers. In addition, this center will be a venue for readings, author talks, and events that share and promote the appreciation of literature, art, cuisine, and culture. Workshops and residencies that are affiliated with universities, seasonal, or for-profit are too often overly competitive, expensive, and insular. As such, 1455’s practical goal is to provide an authentic space enabling writers to thrive and connect: a venue for readings, author talks, and other artistic events. We will encourage and, where possible, partner with local businesses to promote the appreciation of fine food, drink, entertainment, and culture.