Boardman graduate transforms Youngstown church into creative space | News, sports, work

Erin Timms, owner of Calvin Center for the Arts, stands in front of the recently renovated space at 755 Mahoning Ave. There will be a grand opening/open house today, including a tour of the building from 5 to 7 p.m., and a celebration with food and music in the chapel from 7 to 9 p.m.

The Mahoning Valley art scene suffered a major blow when more than a dozen creators and collectors who had rented space – some for decades – in the Ward Bakery building at 1024 Mahoning Ave. were evicted after the building was sold.

Further afield, at 755 Mahoning Ave., the Calvin Center for the Arts has taken on additional significance as a place to connect local creators with those who support their endeavors. Its owner, Erin Timms, is working to transform the former school and recreation hall into a multi-faceted facility that combines her spiritual life, the arts scene and the promotion of well-being, while cultivating a sense of community.

“As a karma yogi, finding my path to service definitely means getting involved in my community and providing service to it,” she said. “I feel called to serve in the cause of health and sustainability, to engage and celebrate all we have, and to overcome obstacles.

“My practice is about selfless service and physical, energetic actions that lead us to higher consciousness. Karma yoga is often seen as performing work or duties with the presence of the conscious mind. Similarly, when I am renovating or cleaning, all my healing thoughts focus on the building, healing not only family issues, but also deeper generational issues that are part of all of us, part of the earth.”

Tying her views specifically to the center’s location, she said, “If you live in Youngstown, I believe it is your responsibility to get involved in this issue.”

Timms did this by volunteering to clean up the area and organizing events at the Calvin Center, such as an Indian classical music performance, Mahoning Valley ComiCon, a Swami Dharmakirti retreat and classes.

Since 2020, the Calvin Center has hosted Youngstown’s May Day Celebration to honor employees.

“It’s about educating the masses about what different organizations are doing in and around this community,” Timms said.

She continued: “We introduce creative arts, music, crafts and ceremonies to celebrate childbirth and Beltane – a Celtic pagan festival that celebrates the rebirth of spring and fertility. We have vendors selling plants and educating people about permaculture (an approach to land management that is good for the environment and sustainability), as well as memorials to fallen workers. It is free to all vendors and guests and is a magical gathering for our community.”

The Boardman High School graduate has lived in Youngstown on and off since she was 19, and has been a permanent resident there since 2016. He understands how difficult it is to unite the area’s residents.

“The Youngstown community may be divided. “We have a lot of jealousy and dissatisfaction resulting from decades of division and a sense of lack of prosperity,” Timms said.

Built in 1877 by P. Ross Berry — an African-American designer who built many important structures in Youngstown — the building originally served as a school.

“The life of P. Ross Berry and his involvement in the construction of the building is an incredible story tied to the physical space,” said Timms, who holds a Master of Arts from Michigan Tech in Industrial Heritage and Archeology and a Bachelor of Arts from Youngstown State University in History art and a monument conservation certificate.

She performed industrial archaeological work for Superfund sites in Rhode Island for seven years before returning to Ohio.

“Preserving this incredible structure and telling the story of its architect is an incredible gift. “Its history is important not only for local history, but also for national historic significance,” Timms said.

The Hungarian Presbyterian Church purchased it from the city in 1943 to build a recreation hall for Sunday school and events for the large congregation and area residents. At this point it became known as the Calvin Center. In 1950, a hall/gymnasium and a commercial kitchen were added and the school was renovated, including the transformation of the classroom into a chapel.

The declining population of the area reduced church membership, which affected the center’s use. After years of paying for expensive maintenance but rarely using it, the property went up for auction. Timms’ older brother, Sean, bought the three-story, 28,108-square-foot building with a basement in 2009.

She described him as having an “adventurous spirit”, owning several houses and a church where concerts were occasionally held.

“I’m not sure Sean had a plan when he bought Calvin Center. Many of his dreams evolved along with the tenants and his own interests. He envisioned a creativity incubator for tenants and artists,” Timms said.

Unfortunately, his vision for the estate was never fully realized. In November 2015, Sean Timms died in his sleep after a concert by national artist Ike Reilly was held at the Calvin Center.

“A week after my brother died, I made the decision to return to Youngstown. It took me just over six months to finalize the commitments I made in Rhode Island. Honestly, I was devastated by Sean’s death. Sean was more than just my brother. He was a friend and my biggest supporter. I lived with him at various times in my life when I moved out of my parents’ house.

“When I was 19, he took me in. When I was ready to start college, he helped me go back to school. When I was an unemployed archaeologist, he had a place for me to sleep. Part of me felt like I was being called home to heal the loss of my brother, but also some deep generational wounds. “I felt the need to give back to Sean in death what I was unable to do for him in his life,” Timms said.

The building’s history also appeals to Timms. He sees the Calvin Center as an important part of Youngstown’s past, as well as a vital part of its present and future.

“It was important to Sean and me to want to preserve something in Youngstown and not have another building torn down or destroyed due to years of neglect,” she said.

She and her parents maintained the building for two years before purchasing the facility from Sean’s estate in 2018. Since then, Timms has slowly, deliberately transformed the building. Since then, continuous renovations have taken place, including removing wainscoting and 1950s alterations, restoring original joinery, painting and refinishing floors, modernizing the commercial kitchen and adapting to modern regulations.

After working with a New York architect on the permitting process, the center recently passed all of its safety regulations for residential and mixed-use spaces.

The redevelopment created six Airbnb/short- and medium-term living studios, two long-term living apartments, along with three multi-purpose event assembly rooms, a kitchen and lobby/gym spaces for artists and makers.

Current tenants include Youngstown Area Roller Derby and two commercial art studios.

There will be a grand opening/open house today, including a tour of the building from 5 to 7 p.m., and a celebration with food and music by the Shoe Shine Boys in the chapel from 7 to 9 p.m.

Overall, Timms aims to implement large-scale plans.

“While I like the idea of ​​Airbnb and short-term rentals, my vision for the facility is an urban retreat center similar to ashrams in India. The space was intended to serve not only travelers, but also the community. I don’t think it would be a typical ashram, but it would be open to many people who may never attend a typical yoga class. The inclusive community center will offer a variety of programs and activities and is open to hosting a variety of events to help support and build the community, Timms said.

“This building was as much about my healing – the loss of my brother – as it was about the fulfillment of his dream. While I was in Rhode Island, wondering how I would transition home and what my next steps would be, I drew a vision board for the Calvin Center as a health and wellness center that focused on healing generational trauma. I released it into the universe and continued to pursue Sean’s dream.