Under The Gun: Norristown Raises Awareness — And Hope — Through Art

Location of Norristown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORRISTOWN –  The mission statement of the ACPPA Community Art Center has not changed since 2004, when the doors first opened, but over the years, Executive Director Amy Grebe has changed the way she interprets it.

In an interview at her office, located in the basement of Grace Lutheran Church on Haws Avenue, Grebe rattled off the words by heart, as though she were reciting the Pledge of Allegiance: “We provide opportunities that use art as a vehicle for creative self-discovery and community revitalization.”

After taking a breath, she explained with a smile that while her goal remains the same, exposing children to the arts.  She prefers now to focus on the creative process, rather than the final product.

“I am less inclined to make good artists than I am to create good citizens,” Grebe said.  “We use the creative process to help them envision a possible future for themselves.”

She also provides after school snacks, donated by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Read more:  http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130622/NEWS01/130629862/under-the-gun-norristown-raises-awareness–and-hope–through-art#full_story