A Small Good

UPDATE: Scroll down to see the volunteer schedule!

“We have the power, with our collective brains, with our collective talents, our shared interests and our fiscal and thoughtful resources, to change a place.” -Theaster Gates, founder of the Rebuild Foundation

Any time my mother called me in the last two years, her first few comments were a tempered concern for the ever-complicated situation here in the City of Harrisburg. (Ironic point to note: until very recently, Mom had been making these calls from her home in northern Iraq. As in, that Iraq.)  Her concern is valid. We’ve earned our fair share of local, national, and international press stories on any number of examples of corruption, failed attempts, emptying of pockets, and the Incinerator as epicenter of it all.  These stories about Harrisburg are real, and they affect our community in measurable ways.  To take it on full hog is insurmountable; at the same time it doesn’t do anyone any good to ignore the severity.  And the stakes are high enough to take the wind right out of any sail you know about.

But this is how momentum works: start slow and gain speed (I dropped Physics in college, but I’m pretty sure that’s good science).  The truth is, here in the City the work to counteract the pendulum swing has already begun. I keep encountering people and projects who are starting slow and working with all they have to gain traction. Beyond the accounts of crises, our local news is also full of stories of people using exactly what they have and who they are and what they like to do to engage the City in a positive way. These are people across any spectrum you can think of leading lives of purpose and courage. They are making bold, meaningful moves all over Harrisburg.  Look for them, and you will see them.

Here’s one.

Meet the MakeSpace. Those of us involved with this project believe that to study the life of a city, one must study what it creates. Artists and entrepreneurs directly impact a city’s vitality with their contributions. However it can’t, and doesn’t, happen in a vacuum.  Our mission is basic: to help people get projects off the ground.

We’re starting small and slow by creating some affordable studio space to generate and showcase art that reflects the community within Harrisburg: where it started and where it’s going.  The studio space at 1916 North Third Street is an absolute work in progress.   With the help of WCI Partners, the MakeSpace has begun the process of outfitting a modest (check out the astro-turf on the porch; it won’t be there long) city row home and making it viable as a mixed-use creative studio.  It will house individual Artists-in-Residence, host cultural events (including 3rd in the Burg’s monthly art celebration), and offer creating space to the community through classes and workshops.

The broader goal of the MakeSpace is to generate energy in cultural initiatives, beautification, and small-business startups. We will work to help projects find an upward swing with the knowledge that sometimes, we all just need a little traction to see things through. We would like to make resources available to the under-resourced, such as space and tools to create, space and opportunities to showcase and sell products, classes and workshops to deepen understanding and broaden skill-sets, consultation on product development and marketing, and access to local, national and global funding opportunities. We will work to support projects that reflect the unique qualities of the City of Harrisburg and address its unique roadblocks.

Our hope is to bolster these efforts, to incubate what economic theorist Richard Florida describes as“the creative class”—a population of individuals whose connection to one another fosters urban regeneration.  This is how momentum works: start slow, and gain speed.  Here’s my point: if we can’t fix the Big Bad, we can at least help build a Small Good. We can help Harrisburg tell a better story. And that will be worth it.

Want to get involved? MakeSpace is looking for donations, volunteers to help with rehabbing the house, and spreading of the word! There are even a few more studio spaces available. For more information, see MakeSpace

THE VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE