UMAR COMES TO CENTENARY

By Rev. Kate May & Rev. Meg Gaston

It all started when I was having breakfast with my friend Ruby. We were catching up and talking about all things work and family. I shared with her about the renovation that Centenary was preparing to embark on and how it would have such an incredible impact on the ministries of the church but that we were hoping the impact could extend into the community as well, especially to our community partners. Ruby said, “Tell me more.”

So, I began to describe the kinds of spaces we were so excited to create and share and I mentioned the art room. What I haven’t told you yet is that my friend Ruby works for UMAR, a United Methodist organization that supports adults with different abilities.

One of the ministries of UMAR in a few cities around Western North Carolina is a day program for art where the adults connected to UMAR can come and create beautiful things in multiple mediums expressing their own creativity and, in some instances, selling their art pieces and receiving a portion of the commission themselves. Of course, this gives incredible value and dignity to the artists themselves.

As I described the art space Ruby dreamed, “I wonder what it would look like to start a new UMAR art day program using Centenary as the hub. We (UMAR) have always wanted to start an art program in Winston Salem, after all it is the City of the Arts and with MOJI coffee at the library right next door and with the Inner Rhythm choir rehearsing at Centenary as well what a beautiful hub this could be!” We both got tremendously excited and I shared with her that several of our ministry areas had also created goals to reach out to the special needs population in Winston Salem. This seemed like it was meant to be. And so, over a breakfast of biscuits and sausage gravy (what better dream fertilizer could you find?) a dream to partner Centenary and UMAR through an art day program was born.

This is where I was looped in with Kate and Ruby. I was jazzed about having UMAR here after being able to visit the art program in Lincolnton where I used to serve. UMAR is one of our Mission Partners and they do wonderful work in our community and across our conference. This program will take place in our new art room and another one of our classrooms Monday-Thursday. It will start small with the participants being the residents from the UMAR homes in Winston-Salem, with the hopes that it will expand and grow to reach individuals who live further out from the church. We are so excited for this opportunity and what it will mean not only for the UMAR participants, but for us as well. To be able to provide our new space to such a wonderful ministry helps us to live into our Every Day for Everyone approach. If you would like to know more about UMAR or find out ways you can volunteer with the art program that will be at Centenary, please contact Rev. Meg Gaston. 

OUR MISSION

We are a nonprofit on a mission to promote community inclusion, independence and growth for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, employment and cultural enrichment opportunities.

HOW IT WORKS

Day Programs at the UMAR Arts centers in Charlotte, Lincolnton and Reidsville, NC, and now in Winston-Salem, offer fine-art vocational services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each center encourages creativity and self-expression through visual, performing, horticulture, literary, 3-D, cultural and culinary arts. Blending living skills, life experiences and community involvement opportunities, the arts curriculum provides a foundation for arts-based learning while working to identify and secure employment for artists who wish to work at galleries, gift shops, local markets or nurseries. Artists also have opportunities to show and sell their work in local galleries, shows and regular art sales. Proceeds from these shows and sales benefit artists and the UMAR Arts Program, and each artist gets to keep 40% of the sale!

LEARN MORE ABOUT UMAR

https://umarinfo.com