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 improving services for inadequately catered-to groups 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 arts programming to celebrate the creativity of our young people, particularly those from communities in need of greater support. 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 youth and young adults ages 17 through 21 with limited access to career-based arts training by providing technical training in theater production and digital media. Paired with critical supports that include college exploration, job skills coaching, and real-world work experience, CreativeWorks gives participants life and employability skills for 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 26 years, the Partnering Artists with Classroom Teachers (PACT) program has served Pre-K through first grade in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The arts integration program features literacy and language units taught by a master dance specialist on-site at local schools. 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, all encompassing 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 impactful large community events, such as the Mount Rainier Craft Fair 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 based on 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 favor based on cultural background, color, religion (creed), masculine, feminine, or neutral expression, age, national origin (ancestry), cognitive or physical impairment, marital status, intimate nature, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing staff, selecting volunteers and vendors, and providing services. We are committed to providing an all-encompassing and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors.
World Arts Focus Inc. DBA Joe’s Movement Emporium is a fair opportunity employer. We will not contradistinguish and will take extensive measures to ensure fair hiring practices in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant based on cultural background, color, religion (creed), masculine, feminine, or neutral expression, age, national origin (ancestry), cognitive or physical impairment, marital status, intimate nature, or veteran status.
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.
In 1995, Joe’s Movement Emporium was founded as a studio for dance and the performing arts by Brooke Kidd and fellow artist Ajax Joe Drayton in Mt. Rainier, MD. This community lacked arts access for its residents from varied walks of life and economic circumstances. It quickly became known as a place where everyone was welcome, where every “Joe,”- no matter his/her ethnic and cultural background, 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 was transformed into a performing arts space and 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, Joe’s celebrated its 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 experience 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 according to 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 anchor an entire arts district – The Gateway Arts District of Prince George’s County, MD – joining small businesses and the arts community in pursuit of economic growth.
