Welcome to the One Art Oasis: Co-creation of an Urban Eco-Arts Village

In the heart of our bustling city, where concrete meets creativity, there exists a haven—a place that has been weaving the fabric of community for over two decades. One Art Community Center has been a beacon of culture, learning, unity, and the healing spirit of love.

The Oasis vision began in our own backyard at One Art, a Black and Brown owned and operated space that encourages holistic healing in Philadelphia through art, education, cultural, and community engagement. One Art currently serves over 10,000 community members annually through a number of our free educational programs for youth and adults and our festivals celebrating culture and unity.

Across the street from the vibrant One Art stands a large empty lot. In 2019, the Greater Bibleway Temple church building that was over 115 years old, burned down, devastating our community in West Philadelphia. What was once a sacred space for gathering in worship, celebration, mourning, love, and so much more now sits vacant with a developer proposing a strip of luxury apartment buildings. When this almost 2 acre plot of land went up for sale across the street from One Art, we began to imagine what development looks like when it's a catalyst for empowerment rather than displacement. We began to visualize the possibilities of scaling up the One Art model: creating more eco-housing, having a larger education space, creating onsite parks, pathways and gardens, building a commercial business plaza, wellness center and community center. We began to reimagine our neighborhood as a safe flourishing place co-creating shared prosperity. We began to envision collectively creating The Oasis, an urban eco-arts village rooted in love.

Now, we stand at the threshold of what some would call daunting. We, however, see an exciting new opportunity to rise to the challenge. We are raising $3 MILLION in total to purchase this plot of land across the street from One Art. We are asking you to recognize the potential for a truly transformative approach to community development and support us on this journey.

The One Art Oasis Project is a collective urban design solution, for us by us.

1. Residential Living: The Oasis will offer Eco-Housing, including a village of tiny homes, family housing, and The Elders Home, created with repurposed material, in true One Art fashion. We will have community green spaces with fruit trees and gardens. Homes will be low-income, affordable, with options to own.

2. Economic Development: The Oasis will feature commercial spaces within a community plaza. VestedIn will help create a vibrant and diverse environment to ensure access to capital and opportunities for expansion are accessible. There will be onsite internships and hands-on job training programs to offer professional development skills and gain career credentials. Many post-construction jobs will be created and maintained in the Oasis.

3.Education: The Oasis will be a hub for multicultural, intergenerational, lifelong learning. We Love Philly will be able to expand their reach and provide more holistic, transformative education through positive community experiences, essential professional skills and apprenticeship programs. There will also be an onsite preschool and K-12 school program with internships, workshops, classes, and makerspaces.

4.Sustainability: The Oasis will utilize green infrastructure such as solar energy usage, permeable pavements, rainwater collection, green roofs, and a comprehensive zero waste management system. FarmerJawn’s CornerJawn at The Oasis will revolutionize corner stores by offering organic produce grown in the onsite gardens, greenhouses and at other Black-led regional farms.

5. Cultural Preservation: The Oasis will be a continuation of our work to protect and celebrate culture through storytelling, art, music, education and ceremony. With a continued mission to always nurture a powerful reconnection with the Earth, ourselves and each other peacefully. The Oasis will offer inviting spaces for diverse cultures to be celebrated and honored respectfully.

6.Community Enrichment: The Oasis will give us the opportunity to foster more opportunities for connection, collaboration, and belonging with accessible wellness retreats, music festivals, vendor pop-ups, and cultural celebrations. Noor Consulting will offer guidance in the strategic and organizational development process, as well as community-building rooted in racial and social justice.

7. Wellness: Health and wellness is woven into the Oasis on every level. We will prioritize the holistic well-being of our community through on-site holistic health services, including certified practitioners that revitalize mind, body and spirit. In the Oasis there will be winding pathways and streams and green spaces inviting community members to meditation, mindfulness, and movement practices.

Much of what we have planned to do in the Oasis is already being done at One Art. We are not reinventing the wheel, but continuing to listen to our community’s members and expanding what we’ve seen has been the most beneficial to our neighborhood. The Oasis will give us the opportunity to continue to serve with intention and love how we have been doing for the past 20 years.

Join us on this journey. Your contribution is not just an investment; it's a vote for a community that grows together, learns together, and thrives together. Together, we are the architects of a future where The Oasis stands as a testament to what's possible when a community comes together with a shared vision. Every dollar contributes to the foundation of this transformative space.

Another way to support this initiative is to shop at oneartcommunitycenter.com/shop

HELP US SECURE THIS LAND! Embrace this call for collective growth. Be a part of the Oasis story. One Love.

The One Art Oasis Project

By One Art Community Center

The One Art Oasis Project

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Team Members