Tucked into a sun-filled room at Starlight Apartments this June, residents gathered with Maybelle Center Members, volunteers, and staff to unveil their latest collaborative art piece—Forging Space.
But what appeared at first glance to be a colorful sculpture held something far deeper: healing, courage, and a rekindled sense of belonging.
For one participant in the project, a resident at Starlight, the project was nothing short of transformative.
“When I was a junior in high school, my art teacher failed me. I don’t know what I did or what I didn’t do—but that left a really bad taste,” he shared during the reveal. “I was told I was a failure at art. So, I veered away from it completely.”
Decades later, he stepped into this community-based art project with some hesitation—and a great deal of courage.
“It took a lot of effort to come here and do this,” he said. “But this was my way of getting back into my own artistic space. Before, I didn’t have one. I kind of felt robbed.”
Forging Space is the third in a series of art collaborations facilitated by Maybelle Center, designed not only to create beauty on the walls but also to foster deep relationships among neighbors who may otherwise remain strangers. Through six weeks of shared creativity—painting, sculpting, arranging, and simply showing up—participants co-create far more than art.
As JC, a longtime Maybelle Center Member, reflected:
“It’s most wonderful to have a relationship with the volunteers, staff, and residents of the building when doing this. Watching the art unfold is delightful—but even more, we gain the beauty of friendships, and the beauty of knowing each other. I hold that at great value.”
The name Forging Space couldn’t be more fitting. For many, it marks the forging of a long-lost creative identity. For others, it’s about carving out space to connect and be known in a world that can often feel isolating.
These projects happen thanks to donors like you—people who believe in healing through creativity, and who understand that building community sometimes starts with paper-mâché, shared laughter, and a willingness to show up.
