Soul Studio at Friendship Circle of Michigan

We had two very special guests for our June Charity Happy Hour and Social event.  First was Bassie Shemtov, Director and Co-founder of Friendship Circle of Michigan.  Friendship Circle is a global organization that aids and supports individuals with special needs of all ages and their families by offering recreational, social, educational, and vocational programming.  Bassie started Friendship Circle with her husband back in 1994 and in 2013 they launched Soul Café and Soul Studio.  She shared that each person has a purpose in the world, and these Soul Projects aim to help adults with special needs find their purpose and community.

Next we got to hear from Adam Egrin, an artist at Soul Studio.  Soul Studio offers adults with special needs in West Bloomfield, Michigan an open studio space, gallery, and art facilitation five days a week.  Artists are supported in making art in a variety of mediums, from painting, drawing, and ceramics to weaving, sculpting, and woodworking.  Soul Studio curates exhibitions so that artists can share their work with visitors.  They also help artists become self-sufficient by selling their artwork—50% of the proceeds for each piece of art sold goes directly to the artist.

Adam shared three pieces of artwork he has created during his 5 years at Soul Studio.  When he started at Soul Studio, he wasn’t sure how much of a visual artist he really was.  But with the support of the Soul Studio Art Facilitators, he deepened his passion and talent for making art in a wealth of different mediums.  He shared one of his favorite pieces of artwork called “The Sun”, comprised of pieces of tape, that is meant to represent the togetherness and happiness he feels at Soul Studio.  He said Bassie and his peers at Soul Studio have been his support system when he needed it most.  They have helped him focus on what he can do and empowered him to reach his potential. 

Our company’s president, Jay had the opportunity to visit the Soul Café and Soul Studio at Friendship Circle a few years ago.  This organization has been near and dear to his heart ever since he got the chance to see firsthand what a difference Soul Studio makes in the lives of adults living with special needs.  Humble Crew has donated to the organization by purchasing multiple artworks from Soul Studio, benefitting both the overall program and the artists themselves.  We are extremely thankful to both Bassie and Adam for spending time with us and teaching us about the inspirational work happening at Friendship Circle and Soul Studio.  We can’t wait to hang our new artwork in the office! 

You can learn more about Friendship Circle of Michigan here: https://www.friendshipcircle.org/

To find a Friendship Circle near you, https://fcnj.com/about/worldwide-fc-locations/

Read more about Soul Studio here: https://www.friendshipcircle.org/soul/

Shop the available artwork from Soul Studio here: https://gallery.friendshipcircle.org/