It’s not every day that an abandoned warehouse gets turned into a center for the arts. It’s also not every day that a group of generous, like-minded people dedicate their time to introducing the world of expression, creativity, and art to people of all ages. From dancing lessons, theater tech programs, even aftercare, lives are being changed due to an initiative and mission to promote “practice and preservation of world performance traditions.” This, and so much more, are exactly what happens at Joe’s Movement Emporium. 

At Joe’s, all are welcome in their house of the arts. This is the idea behind their name. Any one, any “average joe” is welcome to learn and grow with the staff who make it all possible.  I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Joe’s Managing Director, Lisa Alfred and I got to hear what makes Joe’s so great. With enthusiasm in her voice, I could tell she was pleased to share with me.

Lisa expressed such passion when speaking about her organization. She told me how she’s watched those of all ages transform into shy and timid new comers, to talented and active members in many programs. The programs at Joe’s attract those of all learning levels and experience. “We have classes for individuals at varies levels,” Lisa explained, “we have a movement shop, intro dancer, theater tech, youth programming, even after-school care.” The environment they maintain during these programs are “very friendly and open.” Lisa also explained that they “uphold a level of comfort so that everyone feels at ease when expressing themselves.” “Adults have more hesitation. We make this a place where you want to try this. You don’t have to just imagine anymore.” 

Starting out in an abandon warehouse in 1995, Joe’s is now experiencing more and more success. More staff members and programs have helped them grow and become what some locals call “the local rec center.” Lisa gave a lot of credit to the active volunteers and generous donors they’ve been fortunate enough to have help them. She also shared with me how beneficial the accreditation from the Standards for Excellence® has been for Joe’s. A large contributor towards the strength and structure of the organization, the accreditation has helped her and her team look into opportunities they never knew they had. 

So I asked Lisa, “Why did you become accredited?” First, she shared with me that her organization had discovered Standards for Excellence through seminars and word of mouth from other organizations. Regardless of the challenges they knew were ahead, and feeling confident they could achieve the accreditation, they deeply considered it. “Well we realized it would be a great tool for strengthening internal policies to make our organization stronger.” Stronger it did! After becoming accredited, the Emporium retrained entire departments, created internal manuals, and organized frequent staff meetings to ensure everyone was on the same page. They even began to schedule reviews for policies that may need tweaking. “The accreditation made us look at areas we didn’t look at recently.” 

The foundation of a strong and successful organization are the members and volunteers that run the show. If everyone is on the same page, things can run smoothly and efficiently. While Joe’s already had strong and dedicated volunteers with a growth mindset, the Standards for Excellence pulled it all together. Not only are they now stronger, but they’ve been able to actually expand and grow their organization; they’ve experienced a higher demand for their services. Day after day, their studios are completely booked with locals and even visitors, from as far as New York, taking advantage of their space. 

Since Joe’ is a nonprofit, run by volunteers, funding is just as challenging to come by as the next organization. However, Joe’s has taken this challenge head on. They have generous donors who donate either on a one-time basis, yearly, or even every month! They also are taking part in this years’ Combined Federal Campaign. Furthermore, when making grant requests, Lisa shared with me that Joe’s is proud to include the Standard’s for Excellence seal on their request. This has shown to be an effective addition to their approval rate. 

This organization has created a safe space for everyone, of all ages and experience levels, to come and explore their artistic side. It’s become a place in the county that’s known for the hardworking and kind teachers and leaders who have made it all possible. When I asked Lisa if she had any words of wisdom for someone passionate about the arts. She gave me a warm and heartfelt response. “Don’t stop. Don’t accept 'no' as the end of the road. Accept it as the beginning.” 

For more information on Joe’s Movement Emporium, please visit their website at http://www.joesmovement.org.