Making candy in the ArtHouse kitchen

ArtHouse launches second culinary incubator

Contributed By:The 411 News

Since opening, The City of Gary welcomed hundreds of visitors to the opening of ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen, a creative community space where food, culture, art, and skill-building collide.

Just seven months after its opening, ArtHouse has found hundreds of believers in its unique concept, including the 24 early- and mid-stage culinary entrepreneurs who completed the first incubator program.

"When we first launched, we had 700 individuals express interest in getting involved at ArtHouse,” said Arleen Peterson, a consultant overseeing ArtHouse programming, “and then 400 actually showed up to various events, including a woman who drove 200 miles from Indianapolis to be part of what we've created."

Though ArtHouse was designed with Gary in mind, it's resonating across Northwest Indiana. Residents from Gary, Valparaiso and Hammond joined the six-week culinary incubator program, training with food business experts in order to launch or advance their culinary businesses.

Culinary incubator participants Frank and Kimenique Jones are proof of the concept's potential. The couple relocated from California to be closer to family and make an impact in the town in which they grew up. Since completing the incubator program, they partnered with City Life Center, a Gary community center focused on helping families and children. Through the partnership, the Joneses are making healthy meals and teaching good nutritional habits.

"You can change a life through a good meal," said Frank Jones. "By the end of the summer, we'll have served 6,000 meals to children in need."

City of Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, integral to the endeavor, recalls the evolution of ArtHouse.

"At first, we were met with a lot of skepticism," said Freeman-Wilson. "ArtHouse is a completely tailored space for the Gary community. It is an opportunity for small businesses to invest in their dreams that is also an investment in the city. Some have labeled ArtHouse a cultural center, an art gallery, a kitchen. Well, it is all of these things, and it's driving people toward hope."

In addition to kicking off the second culinary incubator on August 12th, ArtHouse will host a range of public events throughout the summer, including workshops, discussions, concerts, and poetry. The popular Home Grown Meals program will also be hosted onsite before traveling back out into various community spaces and homes later in the year.

"We are exploring ways training and education opportunities at ArtHouse can expand further into cooking," added Peterson. "The kitchen has enormous potential as an instructional space, and we look forward to hosting our next group of budding entrepreneurs."

The next incubator begins August 12th, 2017, and applications are available at www.arthousegary.com/incubator.

Story Posted:08/06/2017