The mission of the Francis Hardy Center for the Arts is to promote awareness and appreciation of the arts through education and outreach programs, events, and exhibits.  This mission supports the vision of the organization "to awaken the intrinsic creativity that exists in all human beings; to educate the individual to recognize his own creative power".

The Francis Hardy Center For The Arts is a non-profit organization with a gallery location in Ephraim, Wisconsin.

	Is located on Anderson Dock, a national historic landmark, overlooking the waters of Eagle Harbor in the bay of Green Bay. In 2007 the gallery will celebrate its 45th season presenting exhibits and events from May to October. Gallery hours are: 10 am - 5 pm Daily May - October

History Of The Anderson Dock And Warehouse
Aslag Anderson and Peter Peterson built the Anderson Dock as a commercial enterprise in 1858. The warehouse on it, constructed in 1859, was used to hold the products exported from Ephraim- cedar posts, shingles, cordwood, and salted fish. It also held all of the provisions brought into Ephraim because boats provided the only link to the "outside world".

The original warehouse was destroyed in a storm, and the second warehouse was destroyed by fire in 1880. It was replaced with the warehouse that stands today. The dock and warehouse were vitally important to Ephraim's well being and stood as the commercial center of the village until the 1920's. their profitability faded however, as roads replaced shipping and by 1932 both dock and warehouse had begun to deteriorate. An ice shove in 1950 damaged them to the point of being dangerous.

In 1951 the Anderson family sold thedock and warehouse to the village of Ephraim. The Village in turn leased the warehouse to the Ephraim Foundation, which assumed responsibility for its maintenance. The U.S. Department of the Interior placed this structure on the National Register of Historic Places.

From 1961 to 2000, the Ephraim Foundation sublet the warehouse to the Hardy Gallery of the Peninsula Arts Association. Since 2001 the village of Ephraim has leased the warehouse directly to the Francis Hardy Center for the Arts.

Francis Howe Hardy
Francis Hardy was a summer resident of Ephraim from 1930 until his death in 1960. Although he was a businessman not a professional artist, it was his ambition to create in Dorr County a climate of understanding and appreciation of the arts, which would attract both artists and art lovers to the area. To this end he encouraged annual well-presented exhibits of artwork, and as a charter member of the Peninsula Arts Association, he was instrumental in setting up an annual P.A.A. show. He worked tirelessly to influence the arts in Door County and in recognition of his efforts the P.A.A. named their gallery at the Anderson dock, the Francis Hardy Gallery.

Fairly late in life, Francis Hardy began painting as a hobby and discovered a true talent. After a time of frustration with his efforts, he arranged to take painting lessons during several winters in Florida. His resulting watercolors reveal his talents. He enjoyed painting Door County scenery, especially detailed barns, landscapes, and seascapes. Some of his life work reflected domestic life in Door County. Due to time constraints his output was limited, but a few Midwesterners are fortunate enough to have one of his paintings in their collections.

Both Helen and Francis Hardy were artists. Together they inexhaustibly shaped Door County's art community. They made significant financial contributions and gave many hours of volunteer time to different cultural projects. They will forever be remembered for their positive influence on the arts in Door County.



Creation Of The Francis Hardy Gallery

The graffiti-covered Historic Warehouse on the Anderson Dock, Ephraim, WI has been home to the Hardy GAllery for over three decades.

It was through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Hardy that the Francis Hardy Gallery on the Anderson Dock became a reality. Mr. Hardy substantially supported the project of renovating the 1950 ice-shove damaged Dock and Warehouse, a project of the Ephraim Foundation. After his death, Helen Hardy, wife of Francis, through a major gift, was instrumental in transforming the graffiti-covered building into the gallery it is today. The building is part of Ephraim's history.

The Francis Hardy Gallery was organized under the auspices of the non-profit Peninsula Arts Association (P.A.A.) a Wisconsin 501c(3) corporation. In 1994, the Hardy Gallery formed an independant Board of Directors but remained a sub-committee of the P.A.A.. In 2001, the organization became the Francis Hardy Center for the Arts, its own 501c(3) non-profit Corporation, maintaining its gallery located on historical Anderson Dock. Now directed by its non-profit status, as an educational organization, the newly named Francis Hardy Center for the Arts (FHCA), has resumed its original role with its non-commercial gallery promoting understanding, awareness, and appreciation of art.  As a result of strong leadership, the FHCA has gained a new level of confidence from the local art community and an unprecedented level of support from the general public.

Conclusion
The Anderson Dock and its Warehouse means a lot to many people for many different reasons: decades of transient and permanent boaters inscribe their respective vessel’s name on clapboard siding, only to see the board weather around painted lettering; fishermen up at dawn to catch bass from the pier; landscape lovers stroll to the dock hoping to glimpse a salmon colored sunset; children leave acrylic footprints on concrete, a reminder of past art projects; hundreds of established and emerging artists exhibit, by vote of jury or by invitation, their artwork
in one of the worst climate-controlled galleries in Door County.
It was and remains, after all, a wooden warehouse; but is so much more!



Francis Hardy Center For The Arts
P.O. Box 394
Ephraim, WI 54211 

Phone 920-854-5535 or 920-854-2210