50 Distillation Guidebook Co-Lab • 9.18–9.19 2025 Often students in my classes are learning English as a Second Language. They eagerly show me their animal sculptures and coil pots. We move beyond language and connect over shapes and colors. Arts programming, like other social and cultural programs, unites people. Together these resources build bridges between newcomers and longer-term residents. People begin to create and converse with their neighbors when they have a purpose for gathering. They can use these meeting spaces to engage in dialogue about the needs of their communities and how to address them. Longer-term residents better understand the history of their cities. Newcomers bring their previous experiences in communities with them. Both groups can find commonalities by stepping out of distinctive corners and opening up to new ideas. I truly believe creative spaces allow that conversation to happen in a more thoughtful, generous way. Crucially, these organizations facilitate the expansion of social circles. This allows for greater dissemination of information. Longer-term residents have expansive information channels. They know more people who can share announcements about city governance and other events. Newcomers struggle to acquire information about their cities without those channels. Community centers, museums, theaters, and other spaces work to form that connection. They provide resources like after-school care or arts programming that families can depend on. I see arts programming impacting the lives of children and their families every day at work. Just last week a young girl told me in Spanish that the museum was her favorite trip she’d ever been on. She learned new things and used art to do it. The more we seek out opportunities to support our local social and cultural organizations, the more we strengthen our communities. Cassidy Rubio is an arts educator who has worked at the Lehigh University Art Galleries and the Newark Museum of Art.
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