Announcing new studios inside The Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness
a state-of-the-art wellness and community center built in collaboration with 21 partners.
Sawtooth School for Visual Art is proud to be a founding partner of the Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness (Generations Center), a new 62,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art community center opening this November. Led by Senior Services, and bringing together 21 community partners, this unprecedented collaboration is the first of its kind to bring various organizations under one roof to offer healthcare, intergenerational interaction, and arts-based activities to the community at large.
Sawtooth’s mission is to strengthen our community’s creative core by providing high-quality instruction and visual art experiences for students of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds. The school is proud to be a founding partner of this new innovative center offering healthcare, intergenerational interaction, and arts-based activities to Forsyth County’s community.
Sawtooth’s two new dedicated studio and classroom spaces inside the Generations Center will support this mission and act as an extension of the school’s acclaimed Art + Wellness program, which provides supportive art experiences for people of all ages in partnership with eleven healthcare organizations across Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
Sawtooth’s two studios, equipped with professional-level tools and materials, will be dedicated to educational programming in ceramics and mixed media for students of all ages. Ceramic classes will include wheel throwing, handbuilding, glazing, design, and clay sculpture. The Center’s mixed-media studio will offer a wide variety of classes, including textiles-focused classes like dyeing, spinning, weaving, and felting, as well as other media such as printmaking, painting, collage, and more.
Class structure in these spaces will vary, from drop-in open studio time–for those who want to create while their loved one is in a medical appointment–to 8-week long courses open to the public. Sawtooth will also partner with Family Services to offer regular programming for 105 preschool-age children through their on-site child development center, slated to open early next year.
“We’re thrilled to be one of the founding partners of this important and dynamic center, one that values the importance of creativity in helping our community thrive,” says Lauren Davis, Executive Director of Sawtooth School for Visual Art. “Throughout our longstanding partnership with Senior Services, we’ve witnessed first-hand what research has told us repeatedly–that participating in the arts enhances cognitive development in children and improves adults’ health, well-being, and independence. With the Generations Center, we’ll be able to expand our offerings, serve a wider breadth of our community, and increase access to the benefits of hands-on making.”
Sawtooth’s programming at the Generations Center is a sponsored project of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County and funded through ARPA supported by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.
Generations Center will host a grand opening on Friday, November 17, 2023, from 10:45 a.m. until 2 p.m., starting with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by hands-on activities throughout the center presented by community partners. RSVP on their website here.
The Intergenerational Center for Arts & Wellness (Generations Center) is located at 114 West 30th Street, Winston-Salem, NC. Find more information about all 21 partners and see facility renderings at generationscenter.org
Browse our upcoming classes at Generations Center on our Art + Wellness page, linked here.
Sawtooth School is celebrating its 78th year as a multidisciplinary center for visual art and craft, connecting and creating community through the act of making. Sawtooth’s classes and events are open to everyone in the community—no matter what age, skill level, or background. Small-sized, hands-on classes range from one evening, a weekend, or three months, with even more options for children and teens. Learn more at sawtooth.org
