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WILL HAVE A COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER. THE NONPROFIT BARE HANDS BOUGHT AN ABANDONED CHURCH IN THE AREA WITH PLANS TO RENOVATE IT. �������� 13 S ZOE BLAIR HAS A FIRST LOOK AT THE FUTURE SITE. IT MAY BE HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THIS BUILDING USED TO BE A CHURCH. WHERE I’M STANDING WAS ACTUALLY THE SANCTUARY. IN ABOUT A YEAR, IT’S GOING TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO A COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER. THIS SPACE, LIKE I JUST ENVISIONED, LIKE YOGA CLASSES, DANCE CLASSES, MAYBE SOME MUSICAL PERFORMANCES, SMALL PLAYS. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AMY CASTRO STARTED WORKING WITH BARE HANDS 15 YEARS AGO. FOR 14 OF THOSE YEARS, THEY HAVEN’T HAD A SPACE FOR THEIR WORK. OUR GALLERY SPACE CLOSED IN 2010, AND THEN 2019 IS WHEN WE REALLY STARTED TO LOOK SERIOUSLY. WE HAD ANOTHER SPACE THAT WE HAD IN MIND IN WOODLAWN, AND THEN IT JUST DIDN’T WORK OUT. FIVE YEARS AFTER THAT FAILED ATTEMPT, THEY FINALLY FOUND A SPACE AT A CHURCH ACROSS FROM WOODLAWN HIGH SCHOOL. THAT’S ONE THING CASTRO SAYS MAKES THIS THE PERFECT LOCATION. WE’RE REALLY HOPING TO COLLABORATE WITH WOODLAWN HIGH SCHOOL AND ALL OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE WOODLAWN FEEDER PATTERN. I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO FIND WAYS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES. AND ALSO IT’S AN OUTLET TO WHEN DEALING WITH GRIEF. AND I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND IN SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, THAT’S THE FIRST THING THAT GETS CUT. AND THE BARE HANDS COMMUNITY ART CENTER WILL ALSO OFFER BILINGUAL ART CLASSES TO PROVIDE THAT OUTLET FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AS WELL. THAT’S WHY I WANTED TO BE PART OF BARE HANDS AS WELL. THAT WAY THEY CAN THEY CAN SEE THAT THERE’S A SPANISH SPEAKING ON BOARD AND THEY FEEL MORE WELCOME, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU LIVE OR WHAT LANGUAGE YOU SPEAK. CASTRO SAYS THE COMMUNITY CENTER WILL BE OPEN TO EVERYONE. WE’RE REALLY EXCITED TO KIND OF EXTEND OUR REACH, OUR OUTREACH IN THE BIRMINGHAM AREA. WE LOVE WOODLAWN. IT’S A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD. IT’S THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY IS SO IMPORTANT. WE HOPE TO SERVE ALL 99 NEIGHBORHOODS IN BIRMINGHAM. RENOVATIONS ON THE COMMUNITY CENTER SHOULD BE FINISHED IN A YEAR