By JoJo Mattingly

The young girls in Tena Flemister’s class swayed back and forth in unison.

Their movements accented the rhythmic beats blasting from the hidden record player. They were rehearsing a special program to be presented for their parents.

This dance class is part of an unusual school with a unique faculty.

The school is actually a creative center, located on Simpson Road between Dixie Hills and Vine City in northwest Atlanta. It is housed in an obscure brick building with a colorful red, white, and blue sign. You must crook your neck to read the words written sideways, “Center of Arts.”

Once you step inside, color and pattern jump out at you from every corner. Posters of Sammy Davis Jr., Sidney Poitier, and other black heroes are arranged with the artwork of the students. Bright colored samples of weaving and pottery also line the walls.

One of the directors, Sister Caelan Wolfe, greets you at the door, ready to tell all about the center. “Sister Barbara Brozik and I direct and teach in the Center of Arts. We are listed under the Department of Catholic Social Services because we are Franciscan Religious. However, we are an experimental group of religious and financially autonomous from the Catholic Church which contributes only a token monthly stipend. Our main income is the salary of one of our group who is a full-time teacher at Emory University.”

The experiment started in 1967 when Sister Barbara, Sister Caelan, and two other Franciscan sisters came to Atlanta. They brought along a big dream and moved into a small home on Simpson Road.

Both trained, with degrees as teachers of art, they saw the need for creative expression in poverty areas. Since the area along Simpson is one of economic opportunity Atlanta’s target poverty pockets, they decided on a warehouse available in a local shopping center.

Contractors and businessman supported them by contributing materials and labor to remodel the rooms. The promoted their project by putting notices on all neighborhood doors. The local grapevines also helped spread the word.

Sister Caelan said, “We are convinced that formation through the creative experience is fundamental to a successful life. We believe there is a direct analogy between the facets of art and the facets of life, such as problem solving, self-esteem, and feelings of success and failure.”

Presently their program includes about 150 children. The students may come after school and all day Saturday. They take courses in creative writing, dance, photography, and painting, drawing, and crafts.

Instructors of various ages volunteer their time and talent. Raiford Ragsdale teaches creative writing and Toni Leger, printmaking. David Burns, a student at the Atlanta Art School, conducts a storytelling class. Other students involved are Tena Flemister from Spelman College, John Allen of Morehouse College, who teaches photography, and Nancy Fairly from Clark College, an assistant.

Sister Caelan has plans for a summer program beginning June 16 which will include Saturday field trips. However, she still needs money and teachers for dance, drama, and music.

Sister Barbara teaches at Morris Brown College and her salary helps pay the expenses of the art center. The Cathedral Club of Christ the King is helping with its current fund-raising drive.

“We do have our problems,” said Sister Caelan “The children’s lives are so irregular, while ours are very regular. A girl may come to class three times and then have to stay at home with the baby, or else bring the brothers and sisters along.

“Because of their poor economic status, most of these people have little commercial entertainment. Therefore, the students are creative and make their own.

“The writing class is the smallest, but the most productive. They write a monthly magazine, entitled ‘Hey Look’, and hope to have their work published by the Georgia Art Commission and McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.”

Sister said the center serves another purpose. It seems to be a favorite meeting place for the neighborhood boys and girls. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish the girls in the dancing class from the drop-ins.