Places to Visit: Owl and Raven, a community space in Northampton

By Sadia Khatri on April 16, 2013

Nestled away from the Main Street madness of Northampton is an unexpectedly welcoming community space: Owl and Raven, a haven for quieter, creative days. I came across it by a happy accident; my sister had heard about weekly ear acupuncture sessions somewhere, and never having tried them before, I wanted to see what it was all about.

A visit on Facebook, and I learnt that acupuncture isn’t  the only thing this place offers. Owl and Raven, in fact, hosts game nights, art and skill shares, writer meet-ups and community code-ins. They even have free Wi-Fi during open hours, at zero cost. Their on Facebook photographs showed a cozy place; I wondered how it sustained itself, and was curious to find out what kind of people hung out there. I congratulated myself at possibly having come across a new place at which to unwind or study, since the college library often gets too crowded, and cafes too noisy.

At the next art share, I took my friends. A few wrong turns away from Main Street and we were already lost—my friend began doubting the place even existed. But we located it eventually: the corner-most house in the row of Maplewood shops. A sign pointing towards the basement announced that Owl and Raven was open. We climbed down; unsure of what the event entailed, we were up for discovery.

The place was alive. A crowd of people hung around at the couched half of the room, sitting, talking or drawing. There were books for sale, and board games stacked on a shelf. A portrait-mural of Mahatma Gandhi appropriately ornamented one blue wall. Evan, the co-runner of Owl and Raven who welcomed us in and gave a brief overview of the space, later explained to me that the portrait wasn’t an addition: it had already been there.

The other end of the room featured a wall filled with artwork: there are more sophisticated drawings and comics, but also amateur pieces. I could make something right there, and put it up for sale. Evan was working on a tiny canvas that fit into the palm of his hand, sketching the outlines of a tree on it. My friend was interested in buying it and asked him how much it was for. ‘However much you like,’ he answered.

The same rule applied to the table laden with vegan goodies. We put in some dollars each, and helped ourselves. It was better than any cake I’d had from bakeries. So this is where some of the place’s running costs came from, I realized.

Evan also explained that the space ran through the help of volunteers: whenever anyone could put in the hours, the place would be open. Looking around– there being a fair number of people packed in that small space– I wondered how many were volunteers. In the adjoining room we could hear more voices. Still, this crowd was a contrast to the later visits I’d make there. Craft nights and game nights are smaller, quieter events, though people keep coming and going. Acupuncture nights have become more popular and crowded with time, and people file in early to get a spot for the treatment.

Aside from regular weekly events, Owl and Raven is also a space for talks, workshops and gatherings. Its philosophy is true to its description: a ‘community center’, it is sustained by the very people who use the space, since anyone can attend a gathering, pitch an event or volunteer there. And the people never fail to surprise you: every week is another new interesting thing to do.

 

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