The Gathering Place is a cool oasis in the heat of summer. All are welcome to stop in and enjoy the air-conditioned comfort. Perhaps you want to enroll in a summer class or lecture, relax and read a book, have lunch there with a friend, purchase some unique gifts from our consignment offerings, or bring your laptop and catch up on work. The Gathering Place was created so that everyone would have opportunities to use our space to make their day better.
This week, the art room was buzzing with our free Kids’ Art Camp. High school volunteers led by Veda Dickinson shared their energy and talents to bring out the creativity of younger students. The first day, the kids surprised even themselves with the colorful, unique still-life pictures they painted. Sitting on the workbench the second day were clay animals, with the Very Hungry Caterpillar looking very real. This camp was so popular that it will be offered again in August, thanks to the high school artists giving their time.
Right now, we are planning our fall schedule and hope for input from the community on ideas for classes, lectures and groups. You can contact us at gatheringplacecs@gmail.com with any suggestions. The more ways we can serve the community, the better we feel.
In addition to our classes, another aspect of TGP that we are proud of is the number of groups that meet in our center. The Craft and Chat group, Book Club, writing group, Missing Socrates discussion session, weavers’ workshop, Game night, Ukulele Strummers all call TGP home. Our Memory Café, which serves people and their caregivers who are dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, has been recognized as one of the top programs of its kind.
Recently, new groups were added. Emily Rancier lends her unique talents to the Felt Club which meets the third Friday of every month from 1 to 3. Come in and explore the possibilities of wool felting by creating scarves, purses, hats, mittens, or other art pieces. It is a wonder to see the ways Emily helps others to transform plain wool into works of art.
Friday nights will be rather noisy once a month, but in an enjoyable way at the Seisiun Irish music sessions. Local violinist Brendan Lasavage created the group to welcome all musicians, singers, dancers and listeners for a lively drop-in night of Irish music. The first meeting was quite a success. People with a love for music magically blended their talents together to create foot-tapping, clapping, “hoots and hollers” kind of tunes. The next session, Seisiun, is July 25. All are welcome.
A third new offering is Open Studio. As with other groups, all are welcome to come and explore different types of art. Drop in to create and connect with others, exchange ideas and talents. The Open Studios are held every two weeks on Wednesdays (July 9 and 23) from 2 to 4 and on Thursdays (July 10 and 24) from 6 to 8. Our in-house artists, Brooke Wandall and Cadee Gillette, are experts at encouraging others to stretch their imaginations, confidence and talents.
Finally, we are looking for artists, writers, poets, and anyone who wishes to contribute to our newest venture, ‘Zine. Three times a year, Cadee and Brooke will collect submissions for The Gathering Place’s printed magazine that will highlight local talents. The first ‘Zine will be published in late July so watch for its release. Then plan to contribute to the next edition. We look forward to putting your ideas into our ‘Zine for all to enjoy.
We hope to see you soon at The Gathering Place.
