Elizabetta Renzi, Foundress of The Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows
House of Imagination
Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows Congregation
Donna Service
Mailing Address
435 & 445 Egan Street
Shreveport, LA 71101
318-222-1414
318-221-2733 FAX
MISSION STATEMENT
The Renzi Education and Art Center is committed to the future of our community and an enhanced quality of life for all who choose to become involved in our vision. We dedicate our efforts - under the sponsorship of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows, following the charism of Elisabetta Renzi, their foundress - to establish an environment that will nurture creativity, self-esteem, and intellectual pursuit. Through collaboration and teamwork, we provide an opportunity for the children and adults who attend the Center to explore, learn, and create under the guidance of professional teachers and artists. The Renzi Education and Art Center is a community gathering place, a safe place for individual exploration and growth and a haven for the creative spirit.
HISTORY
The Renzi Education & Art Center was created in May of 1997 with a donation of a large house on Egan Street in Shrevport, Louisiana to the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows. The house had been vacant for several months and was in a deplorable condition. Upon receiving this donation, the Sisters went to inspect the house and see what could be done with the property. One thing became apparent immediately - there were numerous children living in the area, all with curious minds. In fact, some sixty children came to inspect the Sisters as they were inspecting the house! Egan Street and the surrounding Highland Neighborhood is a low-income area, so through this old dilapidated house, the Sisters decided to create a caring and safe environment for children to learn and have fun. The sisters contacted artist and educator, Donna Service, to design the blueprint for the program, incorporating arts and academics, along with writing grants to sustain the Center's existence. During 1997 and into 1998, the Sisters and dozens of volunteers spent weekends and evening cleaning and restoring the house. The Renzi Education & Art Center was incorporated under the umbrella of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows Congregation and functions as an independent entity. In 2000 the Center purchased the house next door in order to expand the program and reduce the number of children on the waiting list for services. This expansion was made possible by a grant from the Dubuis Fund of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word. Utilizing both facilities, the Center is now able to serve 60 children on a daily basis.
