Transforming the Grandville Avenue neighborhood with arts and literacy

In a southwest Grand Rapids neighborhood where poverty is rampant and opportunities are few, Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities has transformed the lives of thousands of children for more than a decade with its arts and literacy programs.

Within the boundaries of Wealthy Street, Century Avenue, Burton Street and Godfrey/Clyde Park, the population in the Grandville Avenue neighborhood is 73 percent Hispanic and 11 percent African-American, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. The majority of students at two nearby schools, Southwest Community Campus and Cesar Chavez Elementary, live in households with income low enough to qualify for the federal lunch program.

Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities operates the Cook Arts Center and the Cook Library Center, which are both located on Grandville Avenue SW. Executive Director Marjorie Kuipers says the goal of these centers is to improve the lives of the neighborhood children.

“We give children opportunities they otherwise might not have,” says Kuipers.

The Cook Arts Center offers kids and adults a chance to discover their artistic side through classes in visual art, pottery, dance, music, theatre and more. All programs are free to Grandville Avenue neighborhood residents, but others in the community may also participate for a fee.  

While the Cook Arts Center taps creativity, the Cook Library Center focuses on the intellectual side. In addition to being a learning resource for the neighborhood, children often come here after school as a safe place to go until their parents get home from work. The library offers a structured environment and requires that students finish their homework first. Kids participate in daily reading and writing exercises to improve their English and grammar skills as well. And for fun, they play games such as Scrabble and chess. Kuipers believes chess is a “great game to develop intellect and learn good sportsmanship.”

Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities is hosting its annual fundraiser, Día del Sol, on June 21 from 5–7:30 p.m. The public is invited to this celebration at the Cook Arts Center, 644 Grandville Avenue SW. Tickets are $25. Día del Sol will feature South American music by Villalobos and dance performances by Grupo Tarasco, MI Peru and local breakdancers. Chef Tommy Fitzgerald is catering the event and there will be a cash bar. Guests can create their own T-shirts, bid on items in a silent auction and more.

If you’d like to help the Cook Arts Center and the Cook Library Center continue to “Do Good” in the Grandville Avenue neighborhood, here’s how to get involved: 

• Learn more about Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities.
• Donate cash or in-kind donations such as gently used books or art supplies.
• Attend Día del Sol on June 21.
• Become a sponsor of Día del Sol or donate a $25 gift card for the silent auction.
• Follow them on Facebook.
• Volunteer by contacting Steffanie Rosalez at (616) 742-0692. Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities is always looking for help with the following:

  - Homework, reading and writing assistance at the Cook Library Center

  - Helping Cook Arts Center instructors with students and materials

  - Walking kids to either center from nearby schools

  - Chaperoning field trips to local colleges, theatres and more

  - Event staffing

Source:  Marjorie Kuipers, Executive Director, Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities
Writer: Heidi Stukkie, Do Good Editor