Downtown York: A Hidden Diamond No Longer

BY JONATHAN DESMARAIS | DIRECTOR OF DOWNTOWN INC

It may have been a career that brought Ophelia Chambliss from Chicago to York in early 2000, but what made her stay was the recognition of Downtown York’s potential. As she explained, “When I first got here, people were saying that they wanted to make York an arts destination, and I took that quite literally. That became my goal.”

23 years later, as an accomplished artist, an educator, a cultivator of community, an owner and operator of both a working artist studio/gallery space and a nonprofit, and now a downtown dweller, Ophelia has played a vital role in transforming the WeCo District of Downtown York into the growing and thriving community that it is today.

Between her recently purchased historic home steps away from Penn Market and her Making Agency building with its newly installed WeCo mural welcoming visitors to the district as they cross the creek, Ophelia has fully committed her life to the mission. In her own words, “I’m one of Downtown York’s biggest cheerleaders, because I believe in it.”

When she’s not painting a new mural or art installation at her working studio or inspiring young artists and entrepreneurs at her nonprofit, she can be found enjoying the walkability of her community; grabbing a bite to eat in between projects from Pecan Tree Café, meeting friends at Gather 256, or enjoying a sit-down lunch at Skillet2Plate Soul Bistro.

Downtown York may no longer be that hidden diamond, but for Ophelia, there is work still to be done. As she explains, “I hope we continue to polish off this diamond that is Downtown York and have it sparkle so much that people will say, ‘I can’t believe I didn’t see that! What I thought was a piece of coal is actually a diamond."

Ophelia's Making Agency | 251-253 W. Market Street, York, PA 17401 | 717.891.0157 | making-agency.com