drydencenter.org

Dryden Center for Community

Welcome to the Dryden Center for Community!

We are an inclusive space for creative arts and connection in the heart of the Village of Dryden, New York.

Mission

The mission of the Dryden Center for Community is to be a place that brings people of all ages together for activities and events with a focus on the creative arts. The entire Dryden community will be served by this centrally-located space through community meals, movie and game nights/afternoons, leadership and job skill development, opportunities for intergenerational engagement, and more.

The Dryden Center for Community (DCC) will be a community hub for music and art instruction, collaboration and performance. We envision this as a place for musicians and artists of all ages. In addition to spaces for private and group lessons and performances, there will also be space for informal gatherings and practice with peers. Other community groups would be able to use the space for meals and other events.

Vision

Our vision is that the Dryden Center for Community will be an inclusive gathering place where the sounds and sights of community creativity always stream through its open doors. We want to create a welcoming space for everyone in the greater Dryden community.

Core Values

The guiding principles at the Dryden Center for Community will be:

• Accessibility: We want to ensure that our space is welcoming, and that events/classes will be affordable to all within our community. This may mean sliding scale tuition for lessons or barter for space by artists (i.e. groups can use the space for free or reduced fees if they perform for a community event or help with fundraising in some way, like serving at a community meal).
• Diversity: We want to support a variety of art expressions within our community representing different cultures and experiences.
• Inclusion: Everyone can have a voice in envisioning what we will be creating. This does not mean that all ideas will be acted upon, but we will hold regular community feedback sessions and have other opportunities for the wider community and specific interest groups to have a voice in planning and decision-making.