Peekskill Resident Opens New Era Creative Space Downtown

"I just felt like it was right."

That's what Ridvan Foxhall said of her decision to launch New Era Creative Space (NECS), located at 1016 Brown Street in Peekskill. It opened earlier this month.

"My vision is to have this be a center where we're constantly providing creative programs, for all ages," Foxhall said.

A Nigerian native and an occupational therapist with a passion for working with kids, Foxhall has lived in Peekskill for the last 10 years. She established the Children's Theater Company of Peekskill in 2006 and has remained heavily involved since then.

The theater company's programs typically draw anywhere from 15 to 30 youths. The season starts in October and when it ends in February, the children have become such close friends that they "don't want to separate from each other," Foxhall said.

Foxhall and the other folks involved began to organize additional activities, from choir to Friday night bowling to youth empowerment groups. But the group never had a permanent place.

This year Foxhall decided to change that, and secure a space where she could provide more programs—something she loves doing. The space on Brown Street, renovated with new floors and fresh, brightly painted walls, became the home for NECS.

"We worked very hard. I agonized about colors," she said. "I want it to be inviting, I want it to be a beautiful space where people can be creative."

She raised about $15,000 in an online fundraising campaign to help with the endeavor, a for-profit LLC. She also secured sponsoring from a non-profit, which will help with the grant-writing process down the road when she incorporates free programs.

This fall workshops focus on ballet, cartooning, girl leadership, handwriting, teen drawing and more, all headed by a range of creatively-inclined folks.

One of the workshop instructors is Cortlandt Manor resident April DeMarco. She hopes community members will try a program.

"When someone says to me that they don’t think they could join an art class I try to encourage people that you don’t have to know about the subject matter before you’re showing up," she said as she chatted with Patch while setting up for a calligraphy class. "That’s what the class is for. Almost everyone in the class will not know anything about the subject matter before we begin."

NECS will celebrate a grand opening Oct. 26 when it partners with The Paramount Hudson Valley to present Mike Longo and his big band. Longo is a former pianist and musical director of jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie. 

NECS is located at 1016 Brown Street in Peekskill. Click here to visit its Facebook page.