The Creativity Center is a volunteer driven, non-profit community center featuring an art gallery and a community art studio. We are located in a historic, original limestone building known as the Albertus Building, one of the oldest buildings in Guttenberg, Iowa. The Gallery, known as Shepherd Gallery, features the work of local artists and artisan retail, some of it made by students from our after-school program as well as our in-house artists/volunteers. The gallery features an espresso kitchen and outdoor courtyard, and is available to the community for meetings and special events. The second floor provides a community art studio to residents and tourists, and features an after-school arts program. The studio workspace provides opportunities to participate in wheel pottery, hand-formed pottery, “paint your own pottery”, mosaics, glass fusion & slumping, stained glass, resin, metal, and more. In addition, we provide materials and expertise for easel painting with watercolors, acrylics, oils, and oil pastels. This is our fifth year providing an after-school arts program. Students participate in all of the above art forms in a nurturing, structured environment that promotes self-expression and gives kids purpose and increases self-worth and self-esteem. The last step in development is to open our Artisan Cafe and Courtyard- a student driven outdoor café featuring artisan fare created and made by our students. We will use these funds to finalize this project. Specifically, to purchase supplies and hire staff.