DCC hosts open house for new arts center
Disciples Christian Church (DCC) invites the community to tour its newly renovated facility on Feb. 12, between noon and 4 p.m. Guided tours will be offered every half hour, starting at noon.
The building and sanctuary have been remodeled to include a 500-seat performance space with great acoustics, flexible dance studio space, classrooms, teaching studios, and more. It is now home to a cultural arts center for young people and families. Visitors are invited to explore the space, and the many program offerings.
DCC is offering program space, free of charge, to artists and art organizations that make the arts accessible to youth in the community. In addition, part of DCCs mission is to provide reasonably priced rehearsal and performance spaces to Cleveland-area art organizations.
Individuals and organizations are welcome to tour the building and learn more about this ongoing project. There will be rental information available, guided tours of the space, and demonstrations for spring and summer classes offered in the building. Masks are required, and social distancing within the building will be practiced.
During the open house, Djapo Cultural Arts Institute will offer ongoing demonstrations in Tai Chi, Capoeira, Yoga, African drumming, dance, craft-making, cooking in the Diaspora, and Rites of Passages programming. In preserving traditional dance and music of Africa and the Diaspora, Djapo’s mission is to educate, enrich, and motivate individuals to create positive images of family and self while incorporating valuable experiences that promote healthy lifestyles and community healing through stage performances, workshops, community outreach, international travel, and cultural exposure. Founded by Talise A. Campbell, artistic director, Djapo bring individuals from various backgrounds together to learn about their similarities and differences through traditional dance and music. For more information, visit http://djapo.com.
Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (CAL) will provide information about its summer Artworks program, a paid arts apprenticeship for teens. CAL’s mission is to ignite student learning, creativity, and success through the arts, providing innovative learning experiences that close learning gaps, teach creative thinking and problem solving, and help students succeed in school, in their first jobs, and beyond. ArtWorks is an arts-based college- and career-readiness program for students in grades 10 through 12, in which teens are mentored by professional teaching artists to learn skills in the arts and 21st-century skills through hands-on learning in a creative space for self-discovery. For additional information, visit www.arts-inspiredlearning.org.
DCC thanks the Arts Advisory Council, Case Western Reserve University, and Baldwin Wallace University for their support.
Disciples Christian Church is located at 3663 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights, across from Severance mall. Free parking is available behind the building.
For additional information about the church and its arts facilities, partners and programs, contact Community Arts Liaison Amanda Powell at amanda@discipleschristian.org.
Marsha Dobrzynski
Marsha Dobrzynski is a longtime Cleveland Heights resident, and former CEO of the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning. She is passionate about ensuring that youth have opportunities in the arts.