Cultural Center gallery director set to retire

The Dartmouth Cultural Center is undergoing more than physical changes to the building, with gallery director Jill Law retiring. 

“It’s hard to leave,” said Law. “I put in thousands of hours over … almost 10 years.”

Law always had a history in art, but was not always directly involved in the world of art. 

She was a “bad girl” in high school, skipping home room and gym to spend her time in the art department. When she was told she needed to retake gym class to graduate, she was determined and took the class. 

Law was then accepted into the Swain School of Design but could not afford to go. She was already working as a waitress and decided to continue on that path. She eventually worked her way up to chef before returning to school for art basics and interior design at the Rhode Island School of Design in the 1990s. 

Law started an interior design business, but after a few years wanted to reconnect with art. She joined the Southcoast Art Association. 

“I realized there was this huge community of artists who were so welcoming and so sharing of their knowledge,” said Law, “That really pushed me to become more of an artist.”

Law was one of the founders of the Cultural Center, participating in the council and plans to keep the building public in 2017. 

The building where the Center is located was given to the town and was the original Southworth Library. It was then taken over by the Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust before going up for sale.  

The Center was approved to become a 501(c)3 nonprofit, which required the Center having a board of directors. Law agreed to be the vice president if her friend Heather Stivison was the president. 

At the time, Law was the president of the Southcoast Artists Association and did not want to be president of two nonprofits. Stivison stepped down a few months later as she was in graduate school, and Law stepped in as president. 

Law acted as the president for three or four years, simultaneously running the website and social media, planning classes and acting as the gallery director. Along with being the president of the Southcoast Artists Association and her business, she felt it was too much to do.  She stayed on as gallery director and continued to run the website and social media. 

The first year of the Center’s opening was anything but smooth; the furnace was broken, the chimney needed sweeping for safety, squirrels had broken in and they found lead pipes. All the issues were resolved, but that is when COVID-19 hit. 

They tried to hold virtual classes, with instructors from around the country. They were able to open and have a show with guests in masks, and continued to thrive. 

Now, the Center has been approved for funding to make the building ADA accessible. The project is planned to start in December 2026. 

Law started to lessen her duties at the Center after a family emergency and decided to go back to school for a continuing education in interior design. She noticed that new people with differing ideas were starting to join the board, and with construction starting she decided now is the best time to step down. Her official last day will be Oct. 30. 

“It’s like you’re giving a child away,” said Law, “You were here from the birth, you create a strong foundation but you know … it’s just that time.”