Dunedin Fine Art Center
DUNEDIN, FL
WE-Making is a suite of resources that explores the relationship between place-based arts practices and social cohesion as a means to advance health equity and community wellbeing. This We-Making story is one example of how place-based arts and cultural strategies uniquely contributed to social cohesion and wellbeing in this community. Throughout this story you’ll see terms paired with actions in parentheses (e.g., social capital, collective action, place attachment, civic engagement, self-determination of shared values). This is to denote for the reader how the WE-Making framework was specifically incorporated. Explore the WE-Making framework and resources.
Image credit: Dunedin Fine Art Center
In March of 2020, Dunedin Fine Art Center (DFAC) closed its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, canceling 105 art classes for adults and children half-way through a six-week session. For many of DFAC's students, their weekly art class supports their wellbeing, and they don't miss a class. DFAC is a welcoming and inclusive space to express creativity, socialize with peers, and learn new artistic skills. Suddenly, our artistic community was shut down and we were losing our connection to our students and supporters. Our art studios were dark and empty. We attempted some online programming, but our student population of mostly older adults did not want to participate in virtual classes.
The staff at DFAC were determined to figure out a way to safely get students back into our studios to resume in-person art classes. A plan was developed to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, as well as ensuring the cleanliness of our facility. Everyone entering the building would need to have their temperature taken. Masks were required, class sizes were limited, and students were spread out to at least six feet apart. Studios, tables, chairs and equipment were cleaned in between each class. This became known as our Health & Safety Protocols. To our surprise, we are still following these protocols today.
When DFAC reopened in June 2020, the staff was delighted to see how many students were eager to get back to their art class despite the ongoing pandemic. All at once the paint was flowing, clay was being molded, portraits were being drawn, and pastel paintings were being created. A collective sigh of relief was heard and felt throughout the building. The students, many of whom are senior citizens, had spent the last two and a half months in isolation. Some had already lost a loved one to the pandemic. We could feel the sense of joy in returning to the creative community at DFAC, a community that many local residents have been a part of for decades. Friendships were rekindled, and laughter and life returned to our studios (social capital- bonding).
By September of 2020, our student enrollment was steadily growing, even as the pandemic worsened. Now our woodturning lathes were turning, jewelry was being soldered, photos were being snapped, and collages were being assembled. We found that the months of isolation had taken a mental and emotional toll on our students, and many were grateful to get back to their weekly class to see their instructors and fellow students (social capital- relationships, sense of belonging). DFAC's classes not only provide quality art instruction, but also socialization and camaraderie for older adults who may be living alone. Our art center is a place for older adults to be seen, heard and acknowledged, when they so often feel forgotten in other parts of their lives (social capital- bonding). By returning to their weekly art classes, their sense of belonging had also returned.
Throughout the Fall of 2020, DFAC saw an increase in new students signing up for classes. Many of these folks were out of work due to the pandemic and looking for a way to make the most of their time off, as well as searching for a new community to become a part of. In addition to registering for classes, new visitors were exploring our galleries and inquiring about volunteer opportunities. Several new volunteers have joined the art center since the pandemic began, and we would not have been able to operate without them. Volunteering once or twice a week provides older adults the chance to contribute to their community and to be a part of the art center's successful reopening (collective action- community participation).
Many students have expressed their gratitude for DFAC's Health & Safety Protocols that have allowed classes to resume and students to feel safe in our building. While some may have initially protested wearing a mask, they have ultimately complied because of their desire to attend art classes. And though they may not realize it, the activity of a weekly group art practice has a positive impact on their mental health, their overall well-being, and helps to build social cohesion. Our art classes helped our students deal with the stress, anxiety and uncertainty of life during a pandemic, and gave them hope that a return to normalcy was near.
