Grantee Profile: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center

For almost two decades, the majestic Cooper High School building on Delridge Way in West Seattle sat empty, a boarded-up eyesore instead of what it could have been—a testament to the history and vitality of one of Seattle's most diverse neighborhoods.

The building was constructed in 1917 as Youngstown Elementary School, built for the children of immigrant shipbuilders and steelworkers. In the middle of the century, it played an important role in Seattle’s civil rights history when it welcomed the city's first African American teacher, Thelma Dewitty. But in 1989, the local school district closed the school.

In 2005, the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association (DNDA) rediscovered the value of the building and reopened it as the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, a place where everybody in the community could learn about art, see art, and make art. The foundation contributed to the rebuilding as a part of our efforts to help people in our local community with great needs and few resources have an equal chance to succeed.

One Center, Many Uses
The sheer variety of classes, performances, and programs available at the center today is staggering. On a single night, for example, the center hosted a Seattle Symphony performance and classes on belly dancing and West African drumming. Residents can use the technology center, the dance studio, the theater, and the ceramics studio for a nominal fee, or for free.

Four arts education nonprofit groups rent space in the building, which helps give it its always-crowded feeling. These groups, including Arts Corps and The Power of Hope, offer local kids an opportunity to create art while they're learning about the world—and themselves.

During the school day, Youngstown is home to an alternative middle school where children who got into trouble at other schools get a second chance—and the support they need—to succeed.

Artist Spaces
During the renovation of Youngstown, the upper floors were converted into housing and studio space for low-income artists. These residents have built a community of artists participating in "disciplinary exchange," as put by sculptor Paul Goldstein, who is collaborating on an art project with a neighbor and glass artist.

The artists have also established the center as an anchor of neighborhood life. The annual artists' open house draws several thousand people who want to see what their neighbors have been up to. And the center also hosts popular neighborhood Halloween and New Year's Eve parties.

Youth Gathering Place
Almost every day after school, the center fills up with teenagers, many of whom face unimaginable challenges in their daily lives. Among them is a young man named Cham, who has taken every music production class the center offers. At Youngstown, he can use special equipment and advanced computer software that he can’t access anywhere else.

"I love music," Cham said. "Music is my thing."

He also learns from experts who volunteer their time at the center. Most importantly, Cham has formed a bond with other young people who flock there. Cham didn’t know the group of friends he now makes music with before he discovered Youngstown. But now he calls the center his "home away from home."