The Purple Bench Collective teaches art and acceptance in Winston-Salem

The Purple Bench Collective is an art studio that gets its namesake from a small purple bench sitting outside. Jeffrey Willey, owner of the studio, says that the idea of the purple bench came from his mother.“(My mom) had a purple bench in a garden, and we would go there, and it was our safe zone,” Willey said. “We could sit; we could confess … actually, that’s where I came out to my mother was on that purple bench.”

“Coming out” refers to when LGBTQ-identifying individuals tell others about their sexual orientation or gender identity when these things may have previously been hidden. Willey says that his mother’s acceptance of him was one of the things that allowed him to accept himself.

Willey’s mother passed away in 2018. He has since made it his goal to give others in the community a safe space to be themselves, just like his mother did for him.

“(The Purple Bench Collective) really has held true to its name,” Willey said. “(Many of) the relationships that I’ve forged have been over sitting at that purple bench out in my parking lot … learning about people and learning where they’re at and what we can do to help each other.”

The studio offers a variety of art classes each week, including a Saturday youth class and a Wednesday night mindfulness workshop.

Willey says that one of the most important parts of his career is building community through kindness — something that is applicable in his work life, as well as his experience as someone in the LGBTQ+ community.

“If we stand together strong, they can’t take us apart,” he said. “Nobody can — but we’ve got to be unified together. We can’t do it alone. That’s important.”