INSPIRATION says Peter Prinz , Space One Eleven CEO and co-founder .
SOE quickly made friends with some of the youth living in the area . The kids were curious ; when they learned SOE was an arts-based organization , they said they wanted to be artists too . SOE opened their doors , and with the community ’ s input , created projects that were relevant to the people who called the area home . The organization became a resident in the community . By beautifying the neighborhood , SOE made a commitment that is still being honored almost 30 years later .
“ We ’ ve been doing creative placemaking ever since we moved downtown to 2nd Avenue North . As pioneers of the neighborhood , we were creative placemakers before the phrase existed ,” says Cheryl Lewis , director of programs . “ We bring diverse groups of people together around art , through our education , mentoring and visual arts programs . We host a wide range of contemporary art exhibitions in our galleries , and also in storefront windows in our building and other buildings downtown , bringing cultural opportunities to people who may not view art in a gallery setting .”
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