West Reading Avenues Fall 2020 - 32

Arts & Culture in the Community

GoggleWorks offers creative
escapes, with peace of mind

By Tim Compton, Artistic Director at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts

G

oggleWorks Center for the Arts (GoggleWorks) has
always been a remarkable place to view art in action;
get creative; or explore a creative campus for shopping,
dining, or celebrating special events. At GoggleWorks, we have
had the opportunity to grow and evolve during this pandemic
crisis. This fall we are looking at a combination of new format
experiences to ensure our ability to stay safe and flexible, even
learning meaningful new ways to serve students and visitors.
Our hope is that these opportunities will meet the needs of
our creative community while highlighting individual talents
and exploring new avenues of engagement.

Just before Berks County businesses reopened, GoggleWorks
opened The New Store online, selling handmade work by
local artists, and opened digital versions of new and archival
art exhibitions. These opportunities were motivated by the
knowledge that in times of crisis, people need creative outlets,
seeing creative escapes as a common call.
Once Berks County reopened, the nonprofit art center began
welcoming registered guests back for select experiences, which
prioritized public health. Private screenings of select films in
the movie theater, guided tours and art making demonstrations,
and private shopping experiences have continued to offer a safe
way to stretch their legs, and engage their creativity for little to
no cost. Visitors continue to explore our campus, learn about
art and history, discover new artists, or screen a favorite film
on the big screen. GoggleWorks will continue to offer these
experiences throughout the fall, occasionally changing up the
offerings to keep them fresh and new. If you are curious about
engaging your artistic side, GoggleWorks has the creative
escape for you.
As summer ended, we heard increased interest from many
clamoring for our signature art classes. With a similar focus
on safety, we have been hard at work on a number of classes
that combine a kit pickup of all the necessary materials, online
videos, and the comfort of creating in your own home. These
"Creative Carryout" classes are great for the family or artists
of all ages and provide peace of mind in addition to endless
creative opportunities.
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Avenues Fall 2020

There are aspects of GoggleWorks you just can't find
anywhere else, from fantastic photo spots to top notch studios
with every tool you need. We have heard from many in our
community: those who want to get back to some sense of
normalcy, to those who will be appreciating our classes and
outreach programs for the first time. With safety in mind
we have adapted some of our signature experiences to allow
people to escape into the space for their creative needs. We are
tailoring a selection of our one-day workshops to adhere to
social distancing expectations and incorporating some safety
measures to ensure public health. We plan to execute these
experiences with smaller class sizes, (in most cases 4-6 people
depending on equipment and studio size), cleaning supplies
available to sanitize shared equipment between uses, required
temperature checks upon entry, mandatory face coverings, and 6
ft. social distance requirements. We have also developed Micro
Weddings to help people tie the knot without the challenges of
big crowds and delayed scheduling. With our growing roster
of programs virtual and on-site we hope you will find your
creative escape with GoggleWorks this fall.
Offerings are available now at GoggleWorks.org with more
added regularly.
http://www.GoggleWorks.org
West Reading Avenues Fall 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of West Reading Avenues Fall 2020
