Bright Hill Press

How did Bright Hill Press begin?

Bright Hill was founded in 1992 by poet Bertha Rogers and her husband, Ernest Fishman. At first, they held poetry workshops in their home, a farm called Bright Hill. Bertha held poetry readings and children’s workshops. We became a 501(c)3 not-for-profit in 1994. Bertha did the creative parts, and Ernie made it happen. He was a brilliant businessman, as well as a gifted writer.

Finding a dedicated space for Bright Hill became necessary as the organization grew. In 2002, we moved to our current location at 94 Church Street in Treadwell, New York.

The garage was remodeled into an educational workshop wing in 2002 with 40-person capacity. The children do most of the workshops in that space. The programs are based on developing creative thinking. These are STEAM-based week-long programs. Children learn about a particular subject, then write about it and do crafts. They learn to use their imagination and to think critically.

In 2004, we designed and built a library with high ceilings. We use that for children’s presentations and poetry readings. The library has a unique 12,000-volume collection of poetry and art books, which are available to be used during business hours.
We have two adjoining galleries for art shows, The Word & Image Galleries.

Ernest Fishman died in 2016. In 2017, Bertha stepped down as the Artistic Director. Bertha continues to do the children’s workshops. We are currently looking for a new Executive Director.