THE VISION

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
- Pablo Picasso

Marvel at its exterior and then wander inside. Englewood’s Cultural Arts Center is a beehive of activity. There, on most mornings, rows of bright yellow school busses are parked outside.

The first floor resounds with a maelstrom of sounds: the cacophony of a rhythm band of elementary school children, the bass beat of a jazz dance, the sweet tones of violins and the sound of joyful voices.

The second floor hosts a group, in hushed discussion of the artwork exhibited along the halls, while artists busily apply paint to canvas, sculpt and converse in studios and classrooms.

A local business group arrives for a monthly luncheon meeting in the Conference Center. A line forms at the box office to purchase tickets for upcoming performances.

At 3:30 p.m. the lobby fills with children and teens carrying books, backpacks and musical instruments. They sign-in then disburse to classrooms for a full palette of arts and education activities, music practice, rehearsal and instruction. At 6:00 the driveway is lined with cars of waiting parents and public transportation is overrun with artistic teens homeward bound.

All day and into the evening, the Center’s education facility is holding classes for artists of all ages and abilities. The day is complete when the last theatre patrons wind their way home, humming.