MAKING COMMUNITY THROUGH Art The artists creating together at Ophelia’s Making Agency in the WeCo district
BY BRONLEY MARTIN | URBAN REVITALIZATION MANAGER
What do a retired school art teacher, a grandmother, and a small business owner have in common? They are all part of a new community of artists in Downtown York’s WeCo District brought together by a love of art and the desire to pursue their passion in a supportive, collaborative environment at Ophelia’s Making Agency. Since opening her doors a little over a year ago, Ophelia Chambliss of Ophelia’s Making Agency activated and reenergized the continued interest in the WeCo District by bringing attention to our community's robust arts scene, providing working studio space to further enrich our cultural offerings, and assisting small and minority-owned businesses to position them for success. Now, Ophelia has doubled her footprint in WeCo by opening additional artist spaces just two doors down from her original space at 253 W Market St. “The goal of Making Agency was always to provide services that combine creativity, culture, and career development to enable artists to become business professionals and serve as an economic driver to the downtown area,” said Ophelia of her purpose in developing this space. “Having agency allows creatives to realize the possibilities of what once was a side hustle into a viable and sustainable source of income.” 08 | Downtown York | Making Community Through Art