June 1, 2005

Center fosters creative funding

Just Imagine holds art auction to raise money for elevator

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer

       Fourteen months into their adventure, the founders of the Just Imagine Creative Arts Healing Center continue to dream.
      And plan and create and celebrate.
      Laurie Gonda and Marti Copplestone started the interfaith Healing Center in March of 2004, embedding their mission right into in the organization's name.
      "We come together to heal, create and do art in a safe place," Copplestone said. "We call this our studio."
      Using creativity to realize potential and encourage spiritual growth, the Center offers everything from culinary dance evenings and a coffee house to stress-lowering drumming or yoga classes and ballroom dance lessons. A monthly GALS network - for Gracious, Adventurous, Liberated and Sassy women - offers food, music, art and networking for area women once a month. Ongoing support groups are also offered, including ones for caregivers, Juvenile Diabetes and Leukemia/Lymphoma.
      Preparing for their next evolution, the organization will hold the Just Imagine First Annual Fundraiser and Art Auction on Saturday, June 11. The afternoon event will feature music, food, auctions and an abundance of art. Funds raised will kick off the center's Capital Campaign, the first goal of which is to install an elevator in the former church building.
      "We need to do this for our mission, for the people we serve," said Michelle Goetz Grahl, the event and volunteer coordinator at the Healing Center since March. "Especially since we're the healing center and some can't come in. One of our artists has Cerebral Palsy and he got in today but it was a struggle."
      "We get daily reminders," added Goetz Grahl on the need for an elevator.
      The Capital Campaign is nothing if not ambitious: install the elevator within a year. Copplestone noted that the center has the potential to receive a $60,000 matching grant and is working hard to generate the needed funds as soon as possible.
      The featured entertainment during the Fundraiser will be a performance of "The Secret Garden" by eight members of the Just Imagine Children's Theater program. Presenting the classic children's story is the culmination of an eight-week class this spring led by Toyna Donahue, who guided the 7-10 year olds through the multi-scene, costumed and complex production.
      The class and their performance at the fundraiser fulfills one of the initial visions of the founders when they created Just Imagine Creative Arts Healing Center.
      "This was on our list when we first opened, to have kids performing," Copplestone noted. "It was one of our first things."
      Speaking of lists, Coppplestone and Gonda are famous for them. The pair generate an endless stream of ideas for programs, presentations, gatherings and classes, write them down and then ask for help in implementing their ideas. One resource they tap is the volunteers from SCORE, who guide them about the organization in general and ways to bring their ideas to fruition.
      "Laurie and I are such visionaries that we can't do it all," said Copplestone, who highly praises SCORE's help. "We get all the ideas and tell everybody to implement."
      New on tap for this summer is a collaboration between Jeff Haas and Donahue, the organization's performing arts director, to create TC Unplugged. The goal of TC Unplugged is to showcase local high school creative talent, who will share their music, stories or poetry every third Friday evening throughout the summer.
      "He's going to brainstorm with us every week starting after school ends to get a whole group of talented performers," Goetz Grahl said.
      The Just Imagine First Annual Fund-raiser and Art Auction will be held on Saturday, June 11, from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $25/adult donation and kids are welcome. The Just Imagine Creative Arts Healing Center is located at 225 W. 14th Street. For more information or to RSVP for the event, call 932-9808.