CultureWorks Transformative Arts + Design Academy was conceived by a group of individuals who were passionate about creating a community center where diverse individuals could come together to find hope and inspiration. Our founders recognized the transformative nature of the arts and their innate ability to open up a world where anything is possible. In researching the benefit of arts education, they discovered that arts education levels the playing field across socio-economic boundaries by improving student retention, reducing the achievement gap, and nurturing the imagination. In short, they recognized that high quality art education is not only a path toward personal and professional growth but also a vehicle for social justice and community development.
Inspired by the work of Bill Strickland and the Manchester Bidwell Corporation, this group created an arts organization specifically committed to making culturally relevant, transformative art and design experiences accessible to teens from all backgrounds. Compelled by an internal faith that was grounded in the conviction that we are called to not only love our neighbors but to see them thrive, this core group founded CultureWorks Institute for Creative Arts in 2011, which was rebranded as CultureWorks Transformative Art & Design Academy in 2016.
Holland, MI is a hub of innovative design, manufacturing, and the home of furniture & office design giants like Herman Miller and Haworth. In order to better prepare the next generation of leaders for these creative industries CultureWorks sought to provide education that promotes creative thinking and experimentation, while creating opportunities and career pathways for traditionally marginalized or under-resourced teens.
With the investment of key donors, the generous support of GDK Construction Company, and dozens of volunteers, they transformed an abandoned unemployment office into a state-of-the-art studio, digital media lab, and gallery space. While faith inspired, CultureWorks has always functioned independently from any church affiliation and seeks to support a diverse student body through diverse representational leadership. CultureWorks programs are inclusive of all people, regardless of faith or cultural tradition, and its programs are neither church-related nor religious in content.
CultureWorks remains dedicated to making culturally relevant, transformative art and design experiences accessible to teens from all backgrounds. By networking with area school counselors, pastors, art teachers, parents, physicians, and therapists, we recruit students who are creatively-inclined, but lack access to arts programming, because of mental, physical, or social challenges or geographical, financial, or transportation limitations. We overcome these limitations by offering a pay-what-you-can-afford system, transporting students to and from programming when necessary, and recruiting and training staff and volunteers accordingly. We consistently hear from students, parents, counselors, and teachers that our programs are affordable, welcoming, and accessible to students who rely on artistic expression for their well-being.
Since moving out of our original space in 2017, we have expanded the depth, breadth, and scope of our programming exponentially, while continuing to care for the complex needs of traditionally marginalized, under-resourced, and underrepresented communities. We recruit and train artists and designers who are able to teach industry-standard skills through lessons designed to engage students, including those with mental, social, and physical needs. We have seen how artistic engagement and expression leads to greater resilience and success as creative individuals and world citizens.
CultureWorks collaborates with over 20 local nonprofits to provide classes, workshops, and special events throughout the year, thereby reaching a wider audience in our community, and we use these community engagements to train our Student Advisory Council in leadership, civic engagement, and advocacy. By offering mobile programming in addition to on-site learning, we economize resources and increase the depth of instruction, which is tailored to unique spaces and settings throughout the greater Holland area.
Since opening our doors in 2011, CultureWorks has impacted over 6,000 students – over 10,000 community members, including adults. Pre-COVID, in FY2018-2019, we served over 1,700 youth and over 500 adults through our after school programs, summer programs, special events, workshops, field trips, and creative college visits. Other than a brief pivot to virtual learning in the spring of 2020, we consistently provided hands-on, in-person programming throughout the pandemic and even expanded our programs to meet the increased need for social and mental health support for teens. About 200 students per year are enrolled in our multi-week afterschool and summer classes, which remain the heart of our organization. Through these classes, which are taught by professional artists and designers and attended by caring mentors, we foster substantial personal and professional growth through projects, discussions, critiques, and collaborations. We serve over 2,000 additional youth and adults per year through workshops, field trips, and community-wide special events designed to nurture curiosity, creative thinking, cross-cultural understanding, and civic engagement.
In 2021 we celebrated 10 years of cultivating creativity, building community, and empowering students through the arts! Our new studio headquarters in the heart of downtown Holland affords even greater opportunities to invest in the personal and professional development of young artists and designers while engaging our community through workshops and special events. In 2023, a Mellon Foundation Community-Based Partnerships grant, written in collaboration with Hope College Department of Art and Art History, funded initiatives aimed at increasing engagement with traditionally underrepresented communities and helped expand the capacity and capabilities of our printmaking studio. In 2023/2024, CultureWorks completed an intensive, 2-year strategic planning cohort with the DeVos Institute of Arts Management, building capacity and long-term organizational sustainability. Along with the continued, rapid growth of programs and partnerships, we’ve seen the fruit of long-term investments in personal and professional growth as alumni are returning to the Holland area with professional experience and degrees to serve as educators, volunteer mentors, staff members, and on our board of directors.
