Beyond The Bricks: Passion Works embraces creativity, community through artistic expression

Columnist Leah Keiter discusses what Passion Works' mission is and how it strives to bring the community together.

Although each spot I write about is on the list because I think it’s worthwhile for the university community to experience, very few places in Athens (or beyond) are special in the same way as the Passion Works Studio and Store. Passion Works is an art studio for adults with and without developmental disabilities that has been spreading values of collaboration, expression and community in Athens for almost two decades.

When I was a kid, my mom took me to Passion Works for the first time one day when I was out running errands with her. It was at a different location then, but I still remember being completely in awe of the bright colors, eclectic designs and great art all on the walls.

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Aside from its role as a place that strives to bring the Athens community together, Passion Works and what it does is important to me because of what it provides for the developmentally disabled community. Through Passion Works, these adults are able to explore creativity and expression freely, while working alongside volunteers and other artists who help bring their visions to life. Not only are these client artists given an environment that supports, accepts and encourages them, but they are then able to see all of their creations — everything from textile art to full scale jewelry lines — for sale in the store and in use all around Athens.

Even if you’ve never been inside the studio or store, or even heard of Passion Works, you’ve definitely seen its designs on the cigarette receptacles all around Court Street, newspaper racks and, most noticeably, the Passion Flowers that can be seen decorating the walls of many buildings in Athens (think Front Room). Passion Works “strive[s] to inspire and liberate the human spirit, enhance quality of life and strengthen communities through the arts,” and one trip to the store and studio can show how its presence has strengthened the Athens community. Passion Flowers are affectionately referred to as the ‘official flower of Athens, Ohio,’ and in the 18 years Passion Works has been around, they have seen thousands of volunteers and resident artists come together to work toward creating a better, more beautiful Athens.

The mission of Passion Works is “to provide a creative and inclusive atmosphere in which artists with and without disabilities thrive.” I cannot stress enough how important I think it is to support Passion Works and other organizations like it that bring together different communities of people and teach partnership in such a special way. Almost everyone has to volunteer for some reason during his or her college career, and getting involved with Passion Works is as easy as reading the volunteer online orientation, printing out and completing an application and taking it in.

Passion Works Studio and Store is located at 20 East State St., right behind the BP on Court Street. It's open Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Saturday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Even if volunteering isn’t your thing, I strongly encourage all of you Bobcats to make your way into the studio and store before you graduate. Just walking in, you’ll be instantly transported to a different, more magical world with brighter colors and cooler designs. The store also features Passion Flowers decorated in Bobcat colors and OSU scarlet and gray if you’re ever looking for a meaningful gift for a fan!