Being well has never been more expensive, and those unable to afford daily Pilates classes or meditation retreats are asking: What about me? One solution: C.R.E.A.T.E. Community Studios.
Offering a wide range of low-cost art workshops and community wellness activities, CREATE—which stands for Capital Region Expressive Arts, Transformation, and Empowerment and has studios in Schenectady, Troy, and Saratoga—was born in 2017 out of necessity. The cofounders, mental health clinicians Heather Hutchison and Aili Lopez, realized that clients in mental health and addiction treatment programs thrived when they utilized art therapy services, but weren’t sure how to continue accessing these services once they left treatment.
“Clients would ask, ‘Well now what—where do I go to continue this practice that has been so helpful to my mental health?’” Hutchison says. “So we like to say that CREATE is the ‘and now what…’”
CREATE’s ultimate goal was realized when Julie Lewis, M.Ed, a local educator and somatic practitioner, joined the team. According to Hutchison, she helped the founders “imagine the only community art studio in the Capital Region specifically devoted to serving community members who are marginalized by mental health, financial, and other barriers.”
CREATE’s impact is far reaching. In a single week, the organization could be hosting Rainbow Garden Club for LGBTQIA+ teens in Saratoga, a pottery class for adults in Schenectady, and open studio night for all ages in Troy. CREATE has also partnered with local filmmaker Careina Yard on Erasing Spaces and Faces, a multi-year multimedia project that documents the legacy of Urban Renewal in Saratoga, and organized the ALCO Tunnel Tile Project, a large-scale mosaic that utilizes thousands of tiles created by community members in Schenectady.
This summer, in addition to offering its regular programming, CREATE is also assisting with United Way’s Summer Meals Collaborative, which ensures kids and teens have access to nutritious meals all summer long. And you can help.
“We love having former teachers and youth volunteer with us, or folks who have experience working with folks with differing abilities,” Hutchison says. “While helping with a program, volunteers get hands-on experience and begin to get to know our regulars.”
To get started, complete the volunteer application form at createcommunitystudios.org or contact Volunteer Coordinator Anne Marko at volunteer@createcommunitystudios.org.
