#TheBuild is a pop-up program within the Chester Made Exploration Zone that brings together youth, artists, and the Chester community to design and build the future in Overtown. Chester Made artistic director Devon Walls, a team of artists from The Artist Warehouse, and Alex Gilliam of Public Workshop worked to bring residents together to exchange ideas about what should be built in Chester and designed and fabricated a storefront and workshop.
Residents and community members have helped to create the workshop while learning how to design and fabricate stools, tables, frames, lighting fixtures, and more! These are their experiences.
The Robinson Family participated in #TheBuild on Sunday, December 11. Visit the workshop at 511 Avenue of the States to view their unique snowflakes, which now decorate the walls and hang in the storefront window.
Patricia Wagner, local artist and photographer, is pictured working on her intricately patterned snowflake, made with reclaimed wood.
Khadijah Muhammad, a recent high school graduate and upcoming artist extraordinaire, lays out the final blueprints for her snowflake.
A group of Chester youth connected with the College Access Center of Delaware County visited #TheBuild to learn more about creative entrepreneurship and the rising tide of Chester-based opportunities that can help them meet lifelong career goals.
These input cards, crafted by Public Workshop, were filled in by local Chester residents to detail what they would like to see in the future of the 500 block of Avenue of the States, hub of the Chester Made Creative Exploration Zone.
Jared Blair designing a stool with reclaimed wood; he took the Shaker's approach of hanging furniture on the wall when not in use--with the the stools becoming artwork themselves.
Sam Anthony starting to prototype a director's chair version of the workshop stool for his film work.
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