9/16-9/20 Week in Review

Hello Friends,

Word of the week: Centered 

This week, we embraced the theme of “centered” to guide our experiences. We began with a tour of People’s Place, where we’ll be volunteering throughout the year. People’s Place serves as a critical hub of support, offering a variety of essential services to the community. It’s inspiring to be in partnership with such a central resource, providing care and assistance to all who walk through its doors.

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We were also visited by Daily Freeman journalist Diane Pineiro-Zucker, who spent time learning about our program. Keep an eye out for an upcoming feature that will highlight our journey and the impact of Place Corps.

Though we are still in the early stages of the program and far from the core of our work, we are reminded of the importance of centering ourselves along the way. In continuation of our ceramics workshop with Lex at Kingston Ceramics, the fellows practiced centering the clay on the wheel—a meditative exercise that helped us not only engage with the craft but also refocus on our own internal balance. 

With Aurora, we delved into the life and legacy of Benjamin Wigfall, founder of Communications Village, a community art space in a Black neighborhood of Kingston in 1973. His contributions as an artist, educator, and community leader were profoundly centering, especially for fellows from the area who had not known about this incredible figure. Next week, we’ll deepen our exploration with a visit to Wigfall’s personal studio in New Paltz, offering another powerful centering point as the fellows prepare for their "Place Story" research next trimester.

With Hudson River Maritime Museum we had a memorable experience on the water. Some fellows sailed while others rowed, but together we were able to share the beauty and serenity of the Hudson River/Esopus Creek. Being on the water gave us all a chance to center ourselves in nature, finding peace in the calm currents.

We launched our programming with the Center for Photography at Woodstock, now based in Kingston, and were thrilled to finally get behind the camera and start capturing our own images. Be sure to explore their weekly artist talks to learn more!

To close the week, Lenny led us in a grounding yoga session, helping us reconnect with ourselves and each other. His guidance provided the perfect way to end the week, leaving us feeling centered and ready for what’s next.

We hope you can find time this weekend to center yourself and enjoy the peace that comes from within.

Have a good weekend,

Place Corps Team 

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