Center for Community Arts
720 Franklin Street - Cape May, New Jersey 08204
We are a multicultural education organization whose arts, humanities, and history programs foster creativity, community building, and appreciation for the rich diversity of our world.
Our Mission:
The Center for Community Arts is a multicultural education organization whose arts and humanities programs foster creativity, community building, and appreciation for the rich diversity of our world. We run year-round arts programming, coupled with efforts to preserve and communicate Cape May's rich and diverse history. Our programs have developed a fine track record of opening community dialogue and promoting interaction across social and economic groups.
We have changed lives and will continue to build into our wonderful community.
FRANKLIN STREET SCHOOL PRESERVATION
A cornerstone of CCA’s community impact has been its leadership in the preservation and adaptive reuse of the Historic Franklin Street School – an iconic landmark in Cape May’s African American History. This effort exemplifies the organization’s commitment to connecting artistic expression with historic preservation and community revitalization. This effort led to the school’s designation as a N.J. African American Historic Site, and houses CCA’s office, Cape May Radio WCFA 101.5 FM radio broadcasting studio, and house our library of our collection of interview transcripts and objects from Cape May’s African American community.
COMMUNITY HISTORY PROGRAM
The Center’s Community History Program (CHP) documents, preserves, and shares the rich history of Cape Island’s long-established African American community. Through this initiative, CHP has established the John and Janet Nash African American History Archive and produced more than twenty exhibitions highlighting diverse aspects of the African American experience in Cape May. These efforts ensure that the stories, contributions, and cultural legacy of the community remain accessible to current and future generations.
ART DEPOT
Art Depot is a community-based retail and workshop space dedicated to promoting creativity, sustainability, and arts education through creative reuse. The organization provides gently used art supplies at affordable prices, making materials accessible. Through workshops, classes and community events, Art Depot engages people of all ages, socio-economic backgrounds and creative levels. By connecting sustainability with artistic expression, Art Depot strengthens community connection, empowers individual creativity, provides education, as well as low-cost supplies supporting educators, students and families while reducing waste and supporting environmental responsibility – reusing items destined for landfills.
WCFA 101.5 FM
CapeMayRadio.org
Cape May Radio is provided to the community and accessible to all at no cost. WCFA 101.5 FM is an FCC-licensed, volunteer-driven community radio station broadcasting from the heart of Cape May in the Historic Franklin Street School. WCFA serves as a vital cultural hub, connecting residents and visitors to the creative and historic spirit of Cape May. Dedicated to celebrating local culture, WCFA supports regional musicians, artists, writers through diverse programming that features music, culture, conversation, and local affairs. Operating 24/7 and live-streaming year-round, the station provides youth programs (for example, through a volunteer mentoring program with teens with Cape May Cares, and a planned future children’s music concert). Cape May Radio is sustained soley by community support, donations, underwriting for local small business and outreach events. WCFA’s FM presence serves as a vital communication channel during emergencies, providing timely and reliable information to the Cape May community.
RECOGNITION
The Center for Community Arts recently received The New Jersey Historical Commission Award of Recognition for the publication of “Black Voices of Cape May/A Feeling of Community.” The award recognizes contributions to and the preservation of New Jersey History.
