Maddie had just finished a few years of teaching Visual Art in Springfield Public Schools, and Grace had just graduated from UMass Amherst with her BFA in Painting and Art History. The two had met a few years prior while both assisting local artist Kim Carlino on mural projects throughout the Valley. 

As young graduates looking towards their next steps in artistic careers, Grace and Maddie saw a need for more accessible arts experiences in Western Mass. and recognized the ways in which their own skillsets could work cohesively to develop a space where this need could be met. 

"Growing up, I didn't have the fullest amount of support from my parents or public school about entering the field since it was seen as an "unconventional" pathway. I learned that, at a young age, I had to navigate learning about the arts on my own in order to nurture whatever creativity or curiosity I had.

 “But I know now that if I had support from a local arts community or mentors like Resilient Community Arts, I would have felt more comfortable growing into who I was and what the arts meant to me. Fostering the interests of youth in the arts and giving them space for creativity and resources allows them a greater sense of future and realistic opportunities."

 -Grace Vo, co-founder

RCA incorporated in July of 2021 and spent that summer fundraising and offering outdoor public art-making experiences in Holyoke, Springfield, and Easthampton. These early months gave us the opportunity to listen to what community members needed in an arts space; what they wanted to learn and what challenges they faced, like childcare, transportation, and expendable income to spend on something like an art class. 

“As an artist-educator, I see my role as that of a public servant and prioritize the responsibility to listen to what communities' needs are, and use my skill sets, privileges, and material access to provide services and experiences that fulfill the needs expressed by the community. 

The Pioneer Valley has such an expansive arts scene, and using my privileges in this work also allows me to open up doors for others who may have aspirations for their own artistic work, but don’t know where to begin networking, or may feel uncomfortable in traditional gallery settings. The tween artists creating in the RCA studio today could one day become successful professionals in creative fields, they will be the ones building our future. It’s our job to give them to tools to get them there.”

-Maddie McDougall, co-founder 

RCA moved into a studio space on the ground floor of Eastworks in September of 2021, and began organizing donated materials, setting up programming calendars, and networking with future Guest Instructors. In just our first four months of operating in this new physical space, we have served over 80 individuals and hosted dozens of programs. January of 2022 marks the beginning of our Afterschool Youth & Teen Studio Programs and our team is so thrilled to continue growing and working to build a more equitable arts ecosystem in the Valley.