Creativity in community: Pine Castle Center for the Arts brings the artists of Orlando together

The Pine Castle Center for the Arts is a brand-new startup that formed last summer with the goal of bringing the artists of Orlando together.

Anna McCambridge-Thomas said that PCCA is trying to make a central hub for artists in Pine Castle. PCCA host artists work in exhibits, giving fresh faces a chance to have their work seen.

“Joys have been just seeing artists, first-time artists, first-time ever showing their work in an exhibit,” McCambridge-Thomas said. “It’s nice to see the artists feeling proud of, you know, creating something and being brave enough to show it.”

PCCA hosted its first workshop week June 15 – 20, welcoming new artists to learn a variety of different art forms from seasoned teachers. From book binding basics to junk-journal scrapbooking, the variety of workshops offered many learning opportunities. (NICK GEORGOUDIOU)

PCCA also hosted its first workshop week June 15 – 20, teaching creative projects from tap-dance to landscape painting.

“There were a couple of events that were pretty booked, and some of them were full,” McCambridge-Thomas said. “The workshops that did have students were really excellent. Excellent teachers, the students learned, everybody was happy.”

PCCA hosts an art club to allow artists to bring their work and enjoy creating with each other. There is no fee and no obligation to be a member of PCCA, McCambridge-Thomas said.

“There is no programming. There is no agenda,” McCambridge-Thomas said. “The only reason we’re doing it is to allow anyone to come bring whatever they’re working on at the time and just spend a couple of hours with people in their community creating.”

While PCCA doesn’t have its own brick-and-mortar facility yet, their exhibits, workshops and club meetings meet at Pine Castle Women’s Club. McCambridge-Thomas said she looks forward to what the future has in store for PCCA.

“We want to eventually have our own building,” McCambridge-Thomas said. “We’ve envisioned that we’ll have a Pine Castle art festival eventually, and eventually we’d love to get to the point where we can do scholarships for students and maybe even adults.”

PCCA is still new and plans to grow, keeping a community of artists in Pine Castle connected, McCambridge-Thomas said.

“I know we’re just planting the seed. By the time we get to the place where we want to be, you know, it’ll be other people leading it,” McCambridge-Thomas said. “So, we’re just trying to build everything we can so that we can pass the torch to the next people who are going to continue it.”