| The Spiral Dance Womyn's Center & Bookstore a womyn's space ~ a magickal place Closed for vacation between June 26 and July 13 Open Tuesday-Saturday 9:00 to 5:00 Thursdays 9:00 to 9:00 (closed for weather & vacation when Baltimore City Schools are closed) |
| 2505 E. Oliver St. Baltimore, MD 21213 thespiraldancebookstore@yahoo.com 410-732-0451 |
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| Mission Statement |
| The mission of the Spiral Dance Womyn’s Center is to provide the space and resources women need to empower themselves personally, and to model women’s collective work and micro economic practice. Through programs in adult education, cultural arts, health & wellness, spirituality, and community building, we help all women develop the practical skills they need to work for both personal and social change. |
The Womyn We Serve
The Spiral Dance serves womyn who were born and raised as womyn in a patriarchal world. We celebrate all
womyn and provide a safe, sacred, multicultural space where womyn can gather to build bridges across their
lines of difference; differences that include race, religion, ethnicity, age, ability, social class, and sexual
orientation. While we recognize the many differences between womyn, we also recognize those experiences we
have in common as womyn. Together, we can weave both our similarities and our differences into strong webs
of connection that empower us to build a stronger womyn’s community.
Why is Womyn’s Space Important?
The basic answer is that “it’s a man’s world,” and womyn need spaces where they can spend time together and
learn from each others experiences. Womyn need educational spaces where they can learn to work collectively
and create micro-economic systems that benefit womyn. Womyn need transformative spaces that allow them to
grow through all the stages of their lives. Womyn need safe spaces where they don’t have to perform self-
surveillance; where they can think and act outside of those patterns and roles assigned to them by patriarchal
systems. Womyn need sacred spaces where they can explore their spirituality, and create images and rituals
that represent their relationship with the Divine. And finally, womyn need creative spaces where they can craft
music, art, literature, and performances that are representative of their experiences in the world.
Our Philosophy
For thousands of years womyn were told that their role was to nurture & care for others, and that men were
their providers & protectors. For thousands of years womyn have waited while men initiated wars, exploited
womyn’s labor, abandoned children, and ruined the environment. In America, a womyn is raped every 2
minutes, 4 womyn die everyday from male perpetrated violence, children are molested in untold numbers,
womyn earn 70 cents on the male dollar, and the Earth continues to be damaged by capitalist and patriarchal
institutions. Therefore, we believe it is imperative that womyn develop different ways of thinking and being in
the world, and create new ideologies and institutions that value and support all people. Our philosophy is
grounded in the ideas developed by generations of womanist & radical feminist thinkers and activists;
philosophies that called womyn to think in new and creative ways. Our philosophy is that womyn need to create
new social, political, spiritual, economic, and cultural systems, and that they need to create new images of
womynhood in art, literature, and music. Our philosophy is that all womyn are valuable and powerful, and that
together we can learn to create both personal and social change.
History of the Project
The vision for the Spiral Dance Womyn's Center & Bookstore began on December 21st 2006, when Laurie
Kendall & Bobbie DeVoll gathered a few womyn in their home to celebrate the Winter Solstice. During the
celebration they dreamed of purchasing a building that could provide womyn with the space and resources they
need to empower themselves in a patriarchal world.
In early January, they actively began searching for a property to purchase that would house their vision. By
late January, they found the Oliver street building. The building was located in a rundown, boarded up, inner-
city neighborhood in Baltimore, but they immediately saw the potential to expand their vision. If they could
gather a diverse group of womyn to help build a womyn's center & bookstore in this neighborhood, then the
collective of womyn and the building could become a model of what can happen when womyn work together.
They might even be able to help womyn buy these homes, fix them up, and transform the neighborhood into a
thriving multicultural community of womyn home and business owners.
On January 28th 2007, Laurie and Bobbie took the leap of faith and put $1,000 down on the Oliver street
property. On March 14th they paid the remainder of the down payment and closing costs ($5,000), and signed
the papers. Work began the very next day when they were joined by two other womyn who helped remove old
furniture and tear down the first wall. From that day on, every weekend various womyn from around the
Baltimore and Washington D.C. area came to work on the project. Though most of the womyn had never done
much in the way of home repairs, let alone the total rehab of an entire building, they worked their hearts out and
learned to handle the cold, the heat, the dirt, the pain, and the power tools!
Laurie and Bobbie supplied the tools and materials, and taught over 30 womyn how to use them. At first the
work progressed slowly. As each of the interior walls came down, mountains of debris had to be hauled away to
the dump. Also, about six weeks into the project, the building was broken into and all of the power tools were
stolen. However, Bobbie and Laurie replaced the tools within a couple of weeks and the work continued. By
late spring, all of the interior walls on the main floor were removed, and demolition on the second floor was
proceeding.
By midsummer the first and second floor were "gutted" and all new doors and windows had been installed. By
the end of July the reconstruction phase was ready to begin; new insulation, paint, wiring, plumbing, bathrooms,
kitchen, bamboo flooring, ceiling fans, etc.
Along the way all of the work was done by womyn only. Though many men offered to help with the project, the
womyn stayed true to the vision of womyn learning to do the work themselves. Of course there were times of
frustration, pain, and exhaustion as they worked seven days a week to manifest the dream.
Most of the womyn experienced cuts and bruises, and Bobbie even broke her leg when she fell from a ladder
while bringing down the ceiling on the second floor, and by August everyone was pretty tired and ready for a
vacation, so they took the month off for a well deserved rest.
But in September the womyn began gathering again to continue the work. In September they painted and
installed new wiring and flooring. In October we started installing a new kitchen, ceiling fans, and lights. And by
mid-November they were ready to open the bookstore on a limited basis, even though there were still bathrooms
and many smaller projects to complete. With a limited inventory and a fledgling schedule of events, the Spiral
Dance Womyn's Center and Bookstore were opened for business on November 24th 2007.
To that date, a total of 37 womyn have worked on the building, helping with various phases of the demolition and
reconstruction. They are currently working on the basement, making it ready to house an arts & crafts studio, a
music & video studio, and an after-school cultural arts program for girls. They have worked in a dirty, filthy
building with no heat or cooling, in a neighborhood where most people are afraid to drive, and each of them has
much to be proud of because of all that they gave. By the sweat of their brows, their broken bones, and their
bleeding blisters, they gave birth to a dream. They dreamed of creating a space where womyn could gather to
share educational programs, inspiring performances, healing work, and relaxing chats over coffee and tea; a
space filled with womyn's music, womyn's art, and womyn's literature, and then THEY BUILT IT!
The Spiral Dance serves womyn who were born and raised as womyn in a patriarchal world. We celebrate all
womyn and provide a safe, sacred, multicultural space where womyn can gather to build bridges across their
lines of difference; differences that include race, religion, ethnicity, age, ability, social class, and sexual
orientation. While we recognize the many differences between womyn, we also recognize those experiences we
have in common as womyn. Together, we can weave both our similarities and our differences into strong webs
of connection that empower us to build a stronger womyn’s community.
Why is Womyn’s Space Important?
The basic answer is that “it’s a man’s world,” and womyn need spaces where they can spend time together and
learn from each others experiences. Womyn need educational spaces where they can learn to work collectively
and create micro-economic systems that benefit womyn. Womyn need transformative spaces that allow them to
grow through all the stages of their lives. Womyn need safe spaces where they don’t have to perform self-
surveillance; where they can think and act outside of those patterns and roles assigned to them by patriarchal
systems. Womyn need sacred spaces where they can explore their spirituality, and create images and rituals
that represent their relationship with the Divine. And finally, womyn need creative spaces where they can craft
music, art, literature, and performances that are representative of their experiences in the world.
Our Philosophy
For thousands of years womyn were told that their role was to nurture & care for others, and that men were
their providers & protectors. For thousands of years womyn have waited while men initiated wars, exploited
womyn’s labor, abandoned children, and ruined the environment. In America, a womyn is raped every 2
minutes, 4 womyn die everyday from male perpetrated violence, children are molested in untold numbers,
womyn earn 70 cents on the male dollar, and the Earth continues to be damaged by capitalist and patriarchal
institutions. Therefore, we believe it is imperative that womyn develop different ways of thinking and being in
the world, and create new ideologies and institutions that value and support all people. Our philosophy is
grounded in the ideas developed by generations of womanist & radical feminist thinkers and activists;
philosophies that called womyn to think in new and creative ways. Our philosophy is that womyn need to create
new social, political, spiritual, economic, and cultural systems, and that they need to create new images of
womynhood in art, literature, and music. Our philosophy is that all womyn are valuable and powerful, and that
together we can learn to create both personal and social change.
History of the Project
The vision for the Spiral Dance Womyn's Center & Bookstore began on December 21st 2006, when Laurie
Kendall & Bobbie DeVoll gathered a few womyn in their home to celebrate the Winter Solstice. During the
celebration they dreamed of purchasing a building that could provide womyn with the space and resources they
need to empower themselves in a patriarchal world.
In early January, they actively began searching for a property to purchase that would house their vision. By
late January, they found the Oliver street building. The building was located in a rundown, boarded up, inner-
city neighborhood in Baltimore, but they immediately saw the potential to expand their vision. If they could
gather a diverse group of womyn to help build a womyn's center & bookstore in this neighborhood, then the
collective of womyn and the building could become a model of what can happen when womyn work together.
They might even be able to help womyn buy these homes, fix them up, and transform the neighborhood into a
thriving multicultural community of womyn home and business owners.
On January 28th 2007, Laurie and Bobbie took the leap of faith and put $1,000 down on the Oliver street
property. On March 14th they paid the remainder of the down payment and closing costs ($5,000), and signed
the papers. Work began the very next day when they were joined by two other womyn who helped remove old
furniture and tear down the first wall. From that day on, every weekend various womyn from around the
Baltimore and Washington D.C. area came to work on the project. Though most of the womyn had never done
much in the way of home repairs, let alone the total rehab of an entire building, they worked their hearts out and
learned to handle the cold, the heat, the dirt, the pain, and the power tools!
Laurie and Bobbie supplied the tools and materials, and taught over 30 womyn how to use them. At first the
work progressed slowly. As each of the interior walls came down, mountains of debris had to be hauled away to
the dump. Also, about six weeks into the project, the building was broken into and all of the power tools were
stolen. However, Bobbie and Laurie replaced the tools within a couple of weeks and the work continued. By
late spring, all of the interior walls on the main floor were removed, and demolition on the second floor was
proceeding.
By midsummer the first and second floor were "gutted" and all new doors and windows had been installed. By
the end of July the reconstruction phase was ready to begin; new insulation, paint, wiring, plumbing, bathrooms,
kitchen, bamboo flooring, ceiling fans, etc.
Along the way all of the work was done by womyn only. Though many men offered to help with the project, the
womyn stayed true to the vision of womyn learning to do the work themselves. Of course there were times of
frustration, pain, and exhaustion as they worked seven days a week to manifest the dream.
Most of the womyn experienced cuts and bruises, and Bobbie even broke her leg when she fell from a ladder
while bringing down the ceiling on the second floor, and by August everyone was pretty tired and ready for a
vacation, so they took the month off for a well deserved rest.
But in September the womyn began gathering again to continue the work. In September they painted and
installed new wiring and flooring. In October we started installing a new kitchen, ceiling fans, and lights. And by
mid-November they were ready to open the bookstore on a limited basis, even though there were still bathrooms
and many smaller projects to complete. With a limited inventory and a fledgling schedule of events, the Spiral
Dance Womyn's Center and Bookstore were opened for business on November 24th 2007.
To that date, a total of 37 womyn have worked on the building, helping with various phases of the demolition and
reconstruction. They are currently working on the basement, making it ready to house an arts & crafts studio, a
music & video studio, and an after-school cultural arts program for girls. They have worked in a dirty, filthy
building with no heat or cooling, in a neighborhood where most people are afraid to drive, and each of them has
much to be proud of because of all that they gave. By the sweat of their brows, their broken bones, and their
bleeding blisters, they gave birth to a dream. They dreamed of creating a space where womyn could gather to
share educational programs, inspiring performances, healing work, and relaxing chats over coffee and tea; a
space filled with womyn's music, womyn's art, and womyn's literature, and then THEY BUILT IT!
Check out our publicity page to see the Spring Formal video