Welcome to Joe's
Established in 1995, Joe’s Movement Emporium is a cultural arts hub that acts as a catalyst for creativity and economic opportunity. Based in Mount Rainier, Maryland in the Prince George’s Gateway Arts District, Joe’s serves more than 70,000 visitors annually. Joe’s has five arts-based youth programs that bridge the creative divide between under-resourced families and those with means. Through programs and productions in education, performing arts, and work readiness, Joe’s integrates progressive education, creativity, and youth development.
Joe's Programs - Serving the Creative Economy
Joe’s offers a wide variety of high quality programming in the arts to celebrate the creativity of our young people, particularly those from underserved communities. Current major youth education initiatives at Joe’s Movement Emporium include the CreativeWorks (workforce development program), Camp Joe’s (spring break and summer extended learning), Club Joe’s (after school arts program), Partnering Artists with Classroom Teachers (arts integration program), and The Ability Project (adaptive dance program for special education).
CreativeWorks (formerly the Theater Tech Program) serves local under-resourced youth and young adults ages 17 through 21 by providing technical training in theater production and digital media. Paired with critical supports that include college exploration, job skills coaching, and real work experience, CreativeWorks gives participants life and employability skills toward a successful future.
Camp Joe’s and Club Joe’s are out-of-school time programs that engage youth throughout the year, benefiting the intellectual, personal, and social development of all students. Offered in a creative, vibrant, and supportive arts-based learning environment, youth learn team building, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills while sharpening fine motor and cognitive abilities.For the past 18 years, the Partnering Artists with Classroom Teachers (PACT) program has been serving Pre-K to first grade students from Mount Rainier Elementary. The arts integration program features literacy and language units taught by a master early education dance specialist on site at Joe’s. Lastly, The Ability Project provides dance instruction for high school special education students in Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) with 12 sessions that culminate in a performance.
Through these artistic programs, Joe’s seeks to develop and support dynamic partnerships, inclusive networks, and innovative opportunities in the arts to encourage the development of resilience and ingenuity, as well as the critical-thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills young participants need for a successful future.
Joe's Movement - Serving the Moving Community
Many artists and artist groups call Joe's home, utilizing Artist Services to provide them with affordable rehearsal and performance space throughout the year. Joe's houses an extensive roster of local artists contracted for special events and education programs.
Joe's facility is a resource for community activity offering daily movement classes for all levels of movers, producing over 150 public events per year, and providing space and production support for important, large community events, such as the Mount Rainier Craft Fair or and the Mount Rainier- Gateway 5K.
An Organization of Excellence
In 2016, Joe’s achieved the Standards of Excellence through the Maryland Association of Nonprofits, which validates and promotes our exemplary work in youth arts education programming. Additionally, Joe’s earned the highest possible rating through Maryland EXCELS (level 1) based upon nationally recognized quality standards and best practices. This rating allows Joe’s to receive state funds to expand our reach in providing high quality arts education to youth in our community.
World Arts Focus Inc. DBA Joe’s Movement Emporium does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin(ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.
World Arts Focus Inc. DBA Joe’s Movement Emporium is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
Joe’s Movement Emporium Documentary
MISSION & HISTORY
Mission
Joe's Movement Emporium inspires creativity through cultural experiences supporting arts education, job training and a creative community.
Vision
A world where everyone is creative, confident and connected.
History
World Arts Focus was founded in 1992 by Brooke Kidd to present performances and education programs that connect local audiences to world traditions.
Joe’s Movement Emporium began as studio for dance and the performing arts when Brooke Kidd and fellow artist Ajax Joe Drayton opened it in Mt. Rainier, MD in 1995, a community that lacked arts access for its ethnically and economically diverse residents. It quickly became known as a place where everyone was welcome, where every “Joe,”- no matter his/her race, age, or ability- could come to move!
Today, Joe’s is the largest independent performing arts center in Prince George’s County, MD. The abandoned 20,000 sq. ft. warehouse turned performing arts space opened its doors in 2007 following a $3.2 million capital campaign. Joe’s has become a home where community members can access exceptional educational and artistic experiences that expose them to arts traditions from around the world.
In 2015 year Joe’s celebrated it's 20th anniversary, growing from a leased storefront studio in 1995 to a community center for the arts that serves 70,000 individuals annually. The facility is open 7 days a week, 350 days per year with classes for all levels of movers. You can see a variety of performances at Joe’s, from dance and comedy to concerts and aerial arts, all showcasing performing arts traditions from around the world.
Programming at Joe’s has evolved over the years based on the needs of the local community. Many resident artists and arts companies call Joe's home where they create, rehearse and perform. Local families in need of affordable, quality childcare can find it at Club Joe’s, the organization’s innovative aftercare program, and Joe’s Camp Joe's. The Theater Tech Program/CreativeWorks provides life and employability skills for at-risk youth. Joe’s provides physical activity to improve the health of teens and adults with differing abilities. Finally, Joe’s drive and vision anchors an entire arts district – The Gateway Arts District of Prince George’s County, MD – joining small business and the arts community in pursuit of economic growth.
