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Editorial: Do-it-yourself

The refurbished furniture store and the Summer Arts Festival are examples of community members acting on Terrace's potential

Both the opening of the refurbished furniture store on Greig Ave. and the success of the first ever Terrace Arts Festival serve as a reminder that if you want to start something in  the Terrace area, sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands.

For years, a common question in Terrace has been what to do with furniture that is no longer needed, but not fit for the dump.

Terrace’s art scene, while being nurtured behind the curtain, lacked a cohesive, central platform to bring art to the masses on a larger, more public scale.

The organizers of these two projects are community members who saw what was missing and who recognized Terrace’s potential.

Instead of complaining and waiting for someone else to fix these problems, they decided to act.

Now, we have a space to donate and buy used furniture – a place wholly embracing the do-it-yourself mentality – and a bustling, public arts scene with events to look forward to all year.

But recently, the closing of the Kiva Cafe at the college – a former hub for musicians – has left a gap in our growing music scene.

Open mics, outdoor concerts, private shows and weekend bars are an important part of the scene, but in order for Terrace musicians to thrive, a forward-looking soul needs to lead the charge for a consistent, intimate, acoustic music venue to foster this important part of our community.