Nonprofit establishes roots with new creative space
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STEUBENVILLE -- Revolution of Tenderness, a local nonprofit aimed at generating community through arts and culture, is further establishing its roots in Steubenville with a new creative space on Sunset Boulevard.
The Studio, located in Suite 12 of the Gallery Building, 2700 Sunset Blvd., opened its doors for the first time on Dec. 8 with a weekend full of guest talent exhibitions and classes. Activities ranged from stretching and dance classes to jam sessions and crafts.
Suzanne Lewis, founder of Revolution of Tenderness, said the community center will continue to host free art and music events for children and adults, simultaneously serving as the nonprofit's headquarters.
Features of the multi-room space include a green room and kitchen, gift shop, performance space with a stage, plant propagation area, children's nursery and learning and art areas.
The Studio will be open during scheduled classes, Lewis said, though there are hopes to incorporate open hours in the future.
Individuals can monitor the Revolution of Tenderness Facebook page to see upcoming events.
Having a physical space for the nonprofit has been a long-awaited dream come true, Lewis said. Until now, the organization has been based wherever Lewis was, having been founded in 2016. The goal is fostering connectedness, primarily through cultural events and its own publishing house.
"We're trying to promote collaboration, friendship and dialogue among peoples," Lewis said.
Lewis, who has master's degrees in social work and fine arts, has lived in Steubenville with her husband since 2005. Before the nonprofit was formed, the two had hosted three cultural festivals in Pittsburgh, inspired by a large festival they had attended in Italy.
Seeking a way to receive funding through tax-deductible donations, Lewis established the organization and named it after a phrase used by Pope Francis. Since then, the nonprofit has hosted Festivals of Friendship -- cultural, community-centered events with exhibits and speakers -- in Pittsburgh and Steubenville.
Other events included a literary festival at Leonardo's Coffeehouse, an online J.R.R. Tolkien reading group and a large online festival in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that festival, Lewis had been introduced to composer Richard Danielpour of the University of California, who appreciated the group's mission and contributed music to the next year's to "promote healing during the pandemic," Lewis said.
That story illustrates an important aspect of Lewis and the organization: The power and reach of friendship. Lewis has been aided in her events through contributions from various friends and connections from unlikely corners of the world -- "whoever we have in front of us."
For example, Lewis had contacted Kyle Buckland, an Appalachian scenery artist from Virginia, out of the blue, leading to him donating time for a live painting session during the grand opening.
A more proximate example is from earlier this year, when Lewis formed a friendship with Mikey Fleming of Bloomingdale, who is helping her run the Studio. Fleming first encountered Lewis when she arrived at his house to purchase an office couch he was selling on Facebook marketplace.
Lewis had been looking at real estate since she decided in 2021 to have a physical location for the nonprofit. She had settled on the Gallery Building suite and reached out to Fleming to add his couch to the space's furniture. When Fleming helped Lewis unload the couch at the space, she told him about the group's efforts.
A musician, Fleming appreciated the emphasis on arts and culture and decided to help out. His background in remodeling greatly aided in transforming the fixer-upper space into the cozy hangout it is today, after only three months of work.
They bonded over the arts and the Studio's overall mission. Lewis said she has witnessed suffering among humanity that must be healed through learning and interpersonal connectedness, transcending religious and cultural boundaries.
"Humanity is really suffering a lot, and I'm convinced that what we need more than anything is friendship," Lewis said. "Not superficial friendship but a friendship that recognizes each person's real need for truth, beauty, love and goodness.
"The way our culture is broken has to do with people getting entrenched in narrow points of view and wanting to argue. … Unless we begin to see that the other person is human and has as much to offer us as we might have to offer them, our own humanity is going to impoverished."
Fleming agreed, saying that friendships formed over the internet are intangible and can't last, so a physical space for community-building events is necessary to build those relationships and give people something to look forward to."
Though Lewis is Catholic, she said religion should never be a barrier for anyone coming to the Studio. She said the space was the site of an inter-faith prayer service on Dec. 17, drawing from Muslim, Christian, Native American, Humanist and Jewish sources.
"Whoever it is that comes in the door has a whole treasury of riches to offer if I know how to engage with them and if they want to share them," said Lewis, emphasizing that increasing people's exposure to other cultures is fundamental to Revolution of Tenderness.
Fleming said anyone with a skill is encouraged to share their talents in a free class -- he hopes to host a life skills class. Keeping events free is integral to the Studio, Lewis added.
Individuals have already expressed interest in evening, after-school classes, Fleming said, adding that he and Lewis want to "create opportunities for people who feel they don't have them." Fleming is excited to teach guitar to a particularly interested student who is left-handed. Currently, Lewis and Fleming are brainstorming how to overcome the challenge of transportation -- providing a way for downtown residents to get up the hill.
As The Studio continues to take shape, Lewis said it will be guided by a "working hypothesis" adapted from Italian friar and hymn writer Jacopone da Todi: "Everything and all things together cry out for just one thing: Love."
Lewis said, "With this as our working hypothesis, we can approach anyone and become friends with anyone."