Mychal LaVia believes in the power of collaboration. The co-founder of Columbia Creative Factory was looking for a new location for his organization when he walked into Kindred Collections at 452 Locust St., Columbia. The business, owned by Dena Krebs and Julie Hess, opened its 10,000-square-foot location in early 2020.

"He came in and said he was looking for a space and I said, 'Well, we definitely have space,'" Krebs recalled. "It sort of felt like it was meant to be."

LaVia plans to hold classes and workshops on-site but will continue Columbia Creative Factory's mission of serving the wider community as well. LaVia co-founded the Columbia Creative Factory with Kevin Leaman in 2016 after successfully volunteering and holding workshops with the Lancaster Creative Factory, which was created by Lehman.

LaVia said Columbia makes the perfect location for the nonprofit, which is focused on creating shared arts experiences in the community. "I've been involved in the Columbia community since the 1980s," he remarked. "I have lots of community connections and good friends here. I think it's a really cool town, and where it's going now, it's exciting. There's a great energy in Columbia, and you can feel it."

When the building that housed Columbia Creative Factory went up for sale, LaVia began looking for options that would allow him to stay in the local community. The location at Kindred Collections is the perfect solution, he said.

"Our mission is to connect with the community and strengthen our ties with the community," he noted. "They support that mission here at Kindred, and they have that same good energy."

Columbia Creative Factory offers free classes at the Columbia Senior Center as well as the Boys and Girls Club of Columbia. "Eighty percent of what we do is off-site, and we want to still do things out in the community," LaVia said, adding that he plans to offer some on-site classes in mosaics and pottery. "It's important for us to reach as many people as possible."

Krebs said Columbia Creative Factory has been a welcome addition to her business, which features more than 80 artists offering handmade, upcycled and vintage items.

"We didn't know each other before Mychal walked in, but it's been going very well," she stated, noting that LaVia will be creating an in-house mural to commemorate Kindred Collections' one-year anniversary. "We both believe in the community spirit in Columbia. It's been a really cool collaboration."