From the Tacoma Ledger:
Based in Tacoma’s rapidly gentrifying Hilltop neighborhood, Fab-5 remains an integral part of the community that remains resilient despite constant pressures of displacement. Beginning 19 years ago, Fab-5 was launched by a group of youth in Pierce County who sought more opportunities for young artists to mobilize their creativity and manifest their ideas into the community.
Since then, Fab-5 has successfully put forth this vision by utilizing undervalued resources and transforming them into artistic spaces for young artists. Now located on the block of 13th and MLK Way, Fab-5 continues their operations, using studios to teach breakdance, oil painting, legal graffiti, digital arts and musical production...
Most recently, Fab-5 has received public recognition for their #DesignTheHill program to play a role in the development in anticipation of the Hilltop link extension. In partnership with the Tacoma Housing Authority, Fab-5 hosted a series of design labs for local community members to play a role in the design of residential, commercial, and retail space along the MLK corridor. This included hands-on work designing first-floor business spaces, affordable housing units, community spaces, culturally relevant building design, rooftop alleys, streets and sidewalks. The community collaboration allowed residents of the Hilltop to be involved with the changing image of their neighborhood, rather than leaving it to the hands of developers and public officials.
Read the Tacoma Ledger's article "Local non-profit seeks to empower youth through artistic expression," featuring the Tacoma Housing Authority.