It's a bustling morning at Camp Flockworks in Fort Bragg as parents say their goodbyes, and children reconnect with friends. The newly launched 9-to-5 summer camp is already making its mark as a vital resource for working families in the small coastal city.
For Amber Ramirez, director of Flockworks, the camp offers a critical option for parents. "What this offers is a really wonderful option for families to be able to offer a 9-to-5 camp throughout the week," she said. "Working families, it really supports them too. And it gives the kids an opportunity to express themselves, to explore their creativity in so many ways with art, cooking, gardening, theater, even going to the CV Star Center to swim."
The camp's first session has 27 children registered, with 43 signed up for the second session.
Flockworks, an arts education nonprofit, has been expanding its offerings since Executive Director Jeff Totsch took the helm a year ago. Under Totsch’s leadership, the organization has not only launched this summer camp but also entered into a contract with the Fort Bragg Unified School District to operate after-school programs across all four district schools. Additionally, Flockworks has taken over the operation of the Cobalt Gallery, located on Main Street in Fort Bragg.
“It's still going to be a single artist gallery where we have artists that rotate monthly, but we are now also adding enrichment programs there for the community,” Totsch said.
With about 70 employees—mostly instructors and aides—Flockworks has grown into the third largest employer in Fort Bragg, an important economic force for the region.
Janet Self, the founder of Flockworks, reflected on how the organization has evolved from a small idea into an arts and community powerhouse. "It’s kind of amazing that what started as a small idea has become this big thing," she said. “I wanted a flexible organization that could say ‘yes’ to creative engagement and shared experiences, and Flockworks has turned out to be exactly that.”
Self, who moved to the Mendocino coast in 2007 with her family, found herself drawn to the local art community after years in international policy and program development. “I loved the community of art that I found. I just absolutely adored the opportunities to work with other people and creative pursuits of all kinds,” she said. “I couldn’t help myself. My nonprofit background kicked in and said, ‘Well, if there was a flexible organization that could say yes to this kind of creative engagement, that would be a powerful thing.’”
Flockworks started in 2007 with exhibitions at the Odd Fellows Hall in Mendocino. Over the next 12 years, the organization hosted 135 exhibits in the hall before pivoting in 2018 to fill a gap when arts education was cut from local elementary schools.
“We said no, we can’t let that happen,” Self said. “So we stepped in and self-funded art with a studio program from that point forward.”
Flockworks’ role grew even further during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the organization distributed 1,700 home art kits to students in the Fort Bragg Unified School District. At the time, Flockworks was operating with only one part-time employee.
The turning point came when Joseph Aldridge became the new superintendent of the district. Aldridge saw the potential of Flockworks and asked the nonprofit to take over after-school programs. “Joe turned around and said, 'I'd like you to take over the after-school programs at both the high school level and the elementary through middle school,'" Totsch recalled. “We said yes, and by three months later, we had a summer program going.”
Fort Bragg Mayor Jason Godeke, an artist and educator himself, sees Flockworks as central to the city's cultural and economic growth. “The arts have been such an important part of the Fort Bragg community for a really long time, but I think one of the things that's different now is there’s just a lot more interconnectedness and collaboration,” Godeke said. “Flockworks is a big part of that.”
Godeke also sees the organization’s success as a model for how art can be an economic driver. “It absolutely is here,” he said. “There's that connection of education, creativity, and how we feel community here in Fort Bragg is becoming more interconnected and vibrant.”
Totsch echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the practical impact of the nonprofit’s growth. “You know, this grant money coming in from the state, it’s money that wouldn’t have been here. And so that’s going straight to our community, going to employ people, give them good benefits,” he said. “It’s hopefully that ripple effect through the community as well.”
