Support the Center for Creative Works and Support Local Art and Employment

There is a spot on Lancaster Avenue in Wynnewood that many of you know nothing about.  You speed by it at 35 miles per hour (or more!) and see a nondescript block of a building.  But inside 241 E. Lancaster Ave. (across from the SuperFresh) there is a beehive of activity. 

It is the - Center for Creative Works.  I first met some of the people there a few months ago when, through an indirect way, I found out they wanted some help with the greening of their streetscape.  Coincidentally, at around the same time, I found out that , who volunteer at Linwood Park, use part of the LM Vo-Tech space for their Sunday meeting. 

So, in a confluence of events, a group of the Friends of Linwood Park met with a group from 6:8 and planted Black-Eyed Susan’s, panicum, and bee balm under the newly planted trees on Lancaster Ave.  We used plant material divided from the plants at Linwood Park. 

Then, later that week, I met with people from the Vo-Tech school and planted ornamental grasses (dug up from a neighbor’s yard who wanted to thin them out) along the parking lot. The participants and staff who helped plant were hard workers and excited to plant.  It certainly changes your perspective a little when the woman next to you is both deaf and blind and she can dig a hole faster than most “able-bodied” people I know.

When I went inside and got a tour of the space, it was beautiful.  Huge windows that let in light for artists to do their work, artwork adorning the walls and tables, and a kind and understanding staff. 

From their website:

The Center for Creative Works is a unique, creative day service program with a focus on arts and arts based skill-building, education, in-house generated vocational opportunities and community involvement for people with developmental/intellectual disabilities. Opportunities and choices are offered throughout the day on many levels of involvement from growth and promotion of personal bodies of artwork to skill building. At the Center for Creative Works, we are committed to an environment in which our folks learn, engage, create, and take ownership and pride in their work and in their place in the community. The Center for Creative Works was formerly the Lower Merion Vocational Training Center.

As I was planting there, and weeding, and watering as the weeks passed, I realized that this is a space that serves our community.  My neighbor pulled in with her sister who goes there during the day.  My other neighbor’s adult son has been a participant there.  My neighbor a few doors down interviewed to be an art teacher at the Center.

Well, now it is time for them to raise some funds to help support their creative programming and services. Tomorrow, Saturday Aug. 11  from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., they will be holding an Ice Cream Social and Dog Wash. They will have some fun stuff going on and it will give you an opportunity to support local artists.  They will be selling hand-made ceramic bowls that come with all-you-can-eat ice cream, print your own t-shirts, there will big a dog wash—bring Fido, all the individual artwork of the participants will be on display and for sale including ceramics, t-shirts, tote bags, hand printed cards and more. There will also be an area for dog and human hanging out time.

Please stop by and support a great organization.  Once again, if all the little guys band together, we form one big guy to make the world a better place.