A new nonprofit arts center fills the need for creativity and community.
The doors are just beginning to open at East Palo Alto’s $30 million EPACENTER Arts, the first hub for arts and culture since the city’s inception in 1983, and already, it’s living up to its mission as a beacon for the community.
The 25,000-square-foot complex for youth ages 6 to 25 — designed by WHY Architecture, known globally for its high-end museum work — broke ground in 2018 and was slated to open in 2020, with a goal of providing 1,500 kids a year with free classes focused on creativity and design. Pandemic-related delays stalled that plan, but with the crisis came opportunity.
As the coronavirus spurred illness and job losses in the community, and the George Floyd killing sparked civil unrest across the nation, EPACENTER…