Multi-Use Spaces: Benefits to Building Community

On Monday I had the pleasure of working with three long-standing beloved teachers at the center Nancy Frary, Rosalie McCarthy, and Mary Richmond to clean out our rustic Art Studio. The Art Studio is essential to the heart of everything we do on campus and what we lovingly call a “multipurpose space”. It is home to our Watercolor, Acrylics, Sketching, and Furniture Painting classes (and more!) as well as providing the perfect space for our rehearsals and performances for the shows you come to see. It also has been used as a space for Open Mics, feeding volunteers, Greensfest, pilates, and cast parties! There is rarely a time during the week where the Art Studio is not bustling with activity.

I’ve been thinking about the Butterfly Effect lately, defined as “the notion that the world is deeply interconnected, such that one small occurrence can influence a much larger complex system.” (“The Butterfly Effect” - The Decision Lab) This theory has always held somewhat of a negative connotation for me as it is described as when a butterfly flaps its wings, it could cause a typhoon somewhere else in the world… 

Is there a way we can put a positive spin on this theory? When a rehearsal happens, does the energy that is left behind energize the space for the class the next morning? If we take the time to clear out the old, make space for the new, how will this affect everyone positively? Will it make the art studio more comfortable, inspiring, or just more clear?

As I continue to explore what it is to be a part of this community, I’ve learned that there is much more than meets the eye at the center and an individual’s impact can create positive change elsewhere in our community. As a high school student at Sturgis, my eyes were opened to the idea that “buildings don’t make schools, people do.” This mantra has stayed with me throughout my life, helping me realize it’s not the brick and mortar that makes a place special, it’s the people in it.

Having a communal space to gather like the art studio is truly a blessing in our community: we have a place to rehearse, make art, and gather. It has taught us how to work together, how to leave something better than you found it, how to continually stretch our “sharing muscles”, and a place to leave the outside world at the door and just create.