A new focus: Appalachian Creativity Center transitioning to art classes
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Shirley Rosenberger, left, and Ann Nicholson stand in front of the mural that Appalachian Creativity Center painted for the Connellsville Career and Technical Center.
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Mary Kay Milliken of Masontown, instructor for the Appalachian Creativity Center鈥檚 knitting and crochet class, teaches student Sheila Basinger of Normalville.
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From left, students Denise Trice of Mt. Pleasant, Michelle Clarkson of Connellsville, and Dawn Bixler, also of Mt. Pleasant, hold decorations they made at Appalachian Creativity Center.
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Instructor Cheryl Qualters demonstrates basket weaving for students at Appalachian Creativity Center.
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Karen Dreucci of Uniontown, a mosaic and stained-glass student of Shirley Rosenberger for more than five years, shows off her project.
The love of art brought Ann Nicholson and Shirley Rosenberger together in Connellsville, where they opened the Appalachian Creativity Center in 2016.
Six years later, the two women have entered into a transitional phase where the new focus will be on art classes instead of the art gallery.
The women said the art classes will be offered in the same building located at 139 W. Crawford Ave., but they are currently in the process of moving from the front of the building to the back.
鈥淲e want to focus on the classes because they have been really successful,鈥� said Nicholson. 鈥淲e plan to focus on outreach in the near future.鈥�
Rosenberger said they are trying to figure out which classes will be conducive for the transition.
鈥淲e have 30 or 40 ideas in our heads right now,鈥� Rosenberger said, laughing. 鈥淲e are trying to evaluate and plan the logistics for the change. Some of our ideas may partner with other people.鈥�
Both women said they expect the transition phase to end within the next several weeks.
鈥淲e are rebranding what we are doing,鈥� Rosenberger said. 鈥淭he classes have really become so successful. We have one woman who just made a mosaic for a window in her house. A lot of these people don鈥檛 think they are creative until they start doing art projects.
鈥淲e will teach them the process of doing a project, and then we encourage them to make decisions on their own,鈥� she added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to see what these women who claim they are not creative are making.鈥�
Nicholson said some of the art students have become so accomplished that they are now becoming teachers at the center.
鈥淲e try to focus our classes on the students鈥� interests,鈥� Nicholson said.
Fayette County Chamber of Commerce members plan to attend a reopening and rebranding event that is expected to be scheduled within the next few weeks, Rosenberger said.
鈥淭he gallery has already been closed, but the art classes are continuing,鈥� Nicholson added. 鈥淲e have so many students, and we want to make sure that we move everything that we will need as we plan for the future.鈥�
鈥淩ight now, we are standing on a bunch of boxes that we have already moved to the new location,鈥� Rosenberger added.
The Appalachian Creativity Center opened July 1, 2016. Rosenberger said it originally included the Project Talent Workshop, a performing arts studio based at the Connellsville Community Center.
Nicholson said the mission of the summer theater camp was to allow children to hone their theatrical skills. Some of those skills included acting, singing, directing, script writing and theater business and management. The Stilt Walking program for young people in Connellsville was also created as part of Project Talent Workshop.
鈥淚t was really nice because you could see the kids walking around Connellsville on stilts,鈥� Rosenberger said. 鈥淓veryone seemed to really enjoy it.
鈥淲e have been in this community for quite a while now,鈥� she added. 鈥淭he community has always welcomed us, and we really appreciate that.鈥�
Rosenberger graduated in 1983 from Shanksville Stoney Creek High School while Nicholson graduated from Connellsville Area Senior High School in 1991. The women met while working at Fallingwater.
鈥淲e both had a love and appreciation for art,鈥� Rosenberger said. 鈥淲e left Fallingwater for an opportunity to become the transitional people who took over the former Connellsville Artworks. We were asked if we could create a new business, and that鈥檚 how the Appalachian Creativity Center came about. Connellsville Artworks closed within a month, and we had a little less than a month to get transitioned into our new art business.
鈥淐onnellsville has a lot of very talented people,鈥� she added.