WESTFIELD – Westfield on Weekends (WOW) has a new home. Westfield’s community arts organization has leased the former Downtown Art Gallery, run by Westfield State University for the past five years at the Rinnova Building at 105 Elm Street in Westfield
“When the university ceased leasing the space at the end of last year, the opportunity presented itself and the WOW board decided that it was a great chance to have a permanent home in a prominent space,” Bob Plasse, WOW president, said.
Owned and managed by DOMUS, Inc, the space will officially open with an open house celebration Friday, April 10 from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday, April 11 from 1-4 p.m.
“At our annual retreat in January, we began making plans for what we hope will become an active hub for all things Westfield,” Plasse said.
Toward that end, WOW has established Westfield Creative Arts (WCA) as an official WOW program; is negotiating with a western Massachusetts gallery to provide a schedule of rotating art exhibits; has rented meeting space to the Friends of the Columbia Greenway; and is planning a “WOW marketplace,” which would sell Westfield merchandise.
Since WCA had used the space during the last twelve months, WOW felt that it could help the fledgling group, to better promote its arts and crafts classes and workshops to the community.
“Our association with WOW is a big plus for us,“ Lester Walshin, WCA director said. “We can only benefit from WOW’s connections to the community.”
Westfield Creative Arts offers ongoing short and long term classes, taught by professional artists and craftspersons. These include classes in quilting, basket making, chair caning, knitting, crocheting, stained glass making, home décor sewing, calligraphy and cake decorating, one day workshops and special events.
“Following the model of the Holyoke Creative Arts Center that has been so successful in Holyoke, we have designed a schedule that will appeal to all levels of skill and learning,” Walshin said. “Classes are forming now and will begin during April. We invite folks to visit our website at www.westfieldcreativearts.com or call us at 413-579-5967.”
WOW Treasurer Barbara Trant sees the leasing of the Rinnova space as a boon for other non-profit organizations.
“WOW’s mission has always been to work with other non-profits, sharing ideas and resources,“ Trant said. “We now have the ability to offer groups meeting and event space at a very low cost.”
“We are particularly excited about our association with the Friends of the Columbia Greenway,” she said. “We hope to work together with them on a variety of projects and with the rail trail expected to reach East Main Street in the near future, there is no better time.”
Trant is also excited about the commercial possibilities of the downtown location.
“We hope to able to create a mini-market, at which non-profits and regional artists and crafters can sell promotional wares and artistic merchandise, – especially those that are Westfield-centric,” Trant said.
For more information on Westfield on Weekends, its events and downtown location, visit www.westfieldonweekends.com.
