The 40-Year Story Behind Hopkinton Center for the Arts (HCA), a savings account, a group of theater kids, and one friend who refused to spend the money on dinner. That is how HCA was born.

A Barn, a Farm, and a Life in the Arts

Kelly Grill loves giving tours. As Executive Director of the Hopkinton Center for the Arts (HCA), she has good reason to. The HCA is housed in a stunning converted barn. The place used to be a working farm (Terry Farm), sitting next to Hopkinton High School. Within the HCA, you’ll find a lively arts center. It’s clear that the site’s history is respected— everywhere you look, they’ve woven it in. The old Hopkinton High School served both middle and high school students. Every day, kids stared out over those familiar fields on the Terry Farm.

Between 1977 and 1983, Grill was one of those students. Her graduating class was tiny — just 69 people. Theater and music during those years made a real impact on her life. It gave her some of her closest friendships. Many of those friendships are still going strong today. Grill and her friends spent countless hours in that theater and band room.

Grill’s friend Paul Champlin was a constant companion. The two of them would grab a study hall pass and head straight to the band room. Then they would slip outside and sit on the concrete slab by the stage door, which is still there. They dreamed out loud about their futures in theater. Little did they know — their dream was already in front of them.

A Savings Account That Started It All

Those same high school friends did not just dream. They acted. Then they opened a small savings account at Middlesex Savings Bank. They raised money to produce shows. The group donated to the local library and created a scholarship fund for graduating seniors pursuing the arts. After high school, as often is the case, the group went their separate ways.

Then, about ten years later, they all managed to find their way back to Hopkinton. That is when Kelly’s friend Dawn delivered a surprise. Paul had never closed that old savings account. It had grown to $1,500!

Dinner or a Play?

Grill had an idea: take the money, go to dinner, and enjoy a harbor cruise in Boston. Dawn had a better one. Put on a play. Kelly agreed. So, they did. Then they did another. And another. It became clear quickly. This was something real. Hopkinton had no community theater at the time. People were hungry for one. Children and adults alike wanted to participate. They went back to Middlesex Savings and opened a proper checking account, then a business account.

From Main Street to the Terry Barn

The group opened a theater called Enter Stage Left (ESL) on Main Street. This May marks 20 years since that space first opened its doors. That address is now home to Blue Square Pizza. They formed a 501(c)(3). They applied for grants and loans. Staff at the Hopkinton Middlesex Savings branch guided them every step of the way. A group of theater kids learned how to run a nonprofit and a business simultaneously. They kept growing. Eventually, they moved to the Terry Barn. That is where the Hopkinton Center for the Arts proudly stands today.

The Founders, Then and Now

Paul, the original founder and dreamer, recently retired from UMass Worcester. He now serves as HCA’s Production Manager for ESL Theater. Dawn, the friend who refused to let Kelly spend that $1,500, just completed her term as HCA Board President.

Mary has spent 20 years directing ESL’s largest annual children’s production. She is now back on stage herself. Her most recent role was a mouse. Kelly has high hopes for her future.

40 Years With the Same Bank

Middlesex Savings Bank has been with HCA for over 40 years. That kind of partnership is rare. In 2026, HCA recognized its relationship with Middlesex Savings Bank as its Corporate Sponsor Partner in the Arts at the Corporate Sponsor Partner in the Arts award breakfast. For Kelly and the other founders, this honor goes far beyond just sponsorship. It marks four decades of close friends dreaming up ideas and working things out side by side, with a community that always had their backs.

The Hopkinton Center for the Arts proudly sits at 98 Hayden Rowe St in Hopkinton, MA. You can get more details at hopkintonarts.org.