Dear friends,
On August 18, 2020, the world lost the incomparable Marguerite Lutton. In honor of her life and legacy, we have organized a fundraiser in her name to benefit Noyes School of Rhythm in Portland, Connecticut, where Marguerite spent summers during her childhood, and where her creativity and free spirit were nurtured and solidified. More about the fundraiser in a minute! But first, more about Noyes and its significance to Marguerite and her sister Laura.
Noyes Rhythm is a danced movement practice developed in the early twentieth century by Florence Fleming Noyes that is closely connected to nature and inspires and supports great creativity. In 1919, Noyes purchased a hundred acre property to serve as the summer home for her school, and generations of movers have come to Noyes to experience deep relaxation and creative awakening through a practice that also builds strength and community.
Lucky for Marguerite and Laura, a friend of their mother Mary knew the pianist at the Jr. School at Noyes. Marian invited Mary to come out to Noyes “camp” (as Marg and Laura call it) when she was just 18 years old; she got a job there as a water safety instructor that same summer. Mary eventually became the camp nurse and she began bringing the girls to Noyes when they were 6 and 4 years old. They went every summer until they were teenagers for four weeks out of each summer.
Noyes was a significant influence on both Marguerite and Laura. It was not just a place away from the dense urban environment of their New York City childhood; it was also a highly transformative holding environment where their creative and independent spirits were nurtured. Marguerite and Laura were in the presence of incredible, strong women at the school who valued intellectual, physical, spiritual and emotional nourishment. Both Marguerite and Laura found grounding and centeredness there.
Marguerite was able to broaden and grow her theatrical free spirit at Noyes. She always reminisced about Noyes as a place that lit her up in all the best ways and was crucial to her development as an artist, not just in music and dance, but in visual arts. Marguerite even had her first marketing gig at Noyes as a teen, designing postcards for the campers. Years later upon the school’s 100th anniversary, Marguerite donated a design toolkit for the camp that will be implemented in the brand’s visual identity. Laura currently sits on the board of directors at Noyes and has been intimately involved in helping the school move into the future in a financially sustainable way.
After Marguerite left this earth, I felt an enormous sense of loss. I realized that I needed to do something that would help Marguerite’s spirit live on, and in conversation with others after her death, it became obvious that fundraising for Noyes was where I wanted to focus my effort. I began working with Laura and the Noyes Board of Directors to create this campaign.
Our goal is to raise $10,000 for Noyes to help fix the 1849 schoolhouse at the Senior School at Noyes where campers do art and have visiting artists teach pottery, poetry, collage and painting, and where Marguerite spent countless hours nurturing her creativity as a girl and teenager.
You can donate to the fundraiser by clicking on the link below. Bonus: I created a piece of artwork for anyone who donates over $100. If you include your address with your donation, I’ll send you an 11×14 inch archival quality print entitled Marguerite’s World, pictured above and below. It is a fictional map that includes many of the places where Marguerite spent significant parts of her life and that she loved deeply.
Please help us to raise $10,000 for the Marguerite Lutton Memorial Fund to update the old schoolhouse at Noyes.
With enormous gratitude,
Lisa Congdon
Laura Lutton
Noyes Board of Directors
