Do group projects always have to be as challenging as we remember them to be in middle school? We think not! In fact, we believe that the only way to make sustainable change is to engage the community at every step. We believe in the power of convening. 

One example of the power of convening the community is a new project along Route 191 in Wayne County. The Wayne County Community Foundation is thrilled to partner with multiple local organizations including the Wayne County Arts Alliance, The Cooperage Project, the Equinunk Historical Society, the Newfoundland Library and many community volunteers to establish  the Creative Communities Art Trail along Route 191. 

Starting in Equinunk and ending in Newfoundland, this art trail is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with additional funding from the Wayne County Community Foundation, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau and individual donations. The trail seeks to connect multiple Wayne County communities from north to south along PA Route 191 with place-based, locally designed pieces of outdoor public artwork. Equinunk marks the first of several locations planned; an opening celebration was held on September 14 at the Equinunk Historical Society. The Newfoundland public art will soon follow.

Public art and creative placemaking don’t just happen overnight. The Wayne County Community Foundation staff, along with community volunteers, have been meeting, brainstorming, designing and collaborating to establish the public art displays in Equinunk and Newfoundland. Through these meetings, which have happened in person and online, community members have had the chance to get to know one another, determine collective values to focus on and celebrate the community they all care so much about.

Communities across our region face increasingly complex problems. These problems require diverse perspectives to be able to find effective solutions, but if we as neighbors don’t trust one another, these solutions will take much longer to implement. 

That’s where the art of bridge building comes in handy. Bridge building is all about keeping lines of communication open, assuming positive intent in others and working toward a common goal. 

Like food, art can be a natural bridge builder. By convening people around something they have in common, a table is set where people with diverse lived experiences can contribute their most creative ideas and build relationships, one brush or piece at a time.  

In a time where divisiveness seems to be encouraged, I wanted to take a moment to pause and encourage you to reflect: do you take time to build bridges and take the first steps to cross one? What have you done recently to make your community somewhere you’re proud to call home?

If you’re not sure how to answer these questions, then I encourage you to seek out volunteer opportunities in your local community. Experiences such as volunteer work or joining a group of any kind give you time with others who share at least one interest, but might not share much else. These interactions are what makes communities strong. It all starts at the most local level—right in your own neighborhood. 

For more information about the Wayne County Community Foundation, visit www.waynefoundation.org.