In February 2014, I got a call from a family who was in the process of renovating their Westfield home and wanted to incorporate some stained glass into three interior doors. Because of changes in their construction plans, the design phase ended up lasting nearly two years!  There were a few times when I thought they had changed their mind completely and decided not to incorporate stained glass only to get an email that they wanted to move forward. During the process of creating the windows, Sharon and I began chatting and I learned that, in addition to their home renovation, she had bought a building in Garwood that she was renovating to become an arts center. This morning I visited South Avenue Arts shown in the photo above.  While it isn't open just yet, it is getting close-- they are scheduled for final inspections next week.  The space is bright and open and I think with her energy and vision, it is going to be an incredible arts center.  There is a large classroom, a studio space and a light-filled art gallery area as well as thoughtful touches like lockers for members to store their supplies.  A few of us in my town of Metuchen have been talking about creating a place like this too and I think it would be great to have a partnership with other arts centers in New Jersey.   I wish her all the best and am excited to hear how things go when she opens the doors to the arts community!