As Coyote Central continues to settle into its new location at 23rd and Cherry, the youth arts and education organization is expanding it’s backyard workshop building and has plans to beautify its campus.

Within the first couple months following their June 2011 move, art started popping up around their building. Of course, this makes sense for a youth organization that has been creating professional-quality public art around the neighborhood for nearly two decades.

Coyote Central plans to redesign their campus near this 23rd Ave bus stop

This year — among many other classes and projects — the organization will work on the 23rd Ave face of their campus, creating more space for art and working to make a more comfortable area for people waiting at the popular bus stop in front of their building.

“I really look forward to improving the streetfront,” said Claudia Stelle, Executive Director of Coyote Central. Final plans could include a recessed fence, space for a mural and even a bench for people waiting at the bus stop. They are also working with King County Metro to get an awning for the stop. “This will look better,” Stelle said.

However, the streetfront changes are the last step in a summer’s worth of work on the Coyote Central property, and will not likely be finished until August.

First, they will double the size of their current backyard workshop to 2,000 square feet. The increase in space will give them “a more comfortable space for the woodworking and metalworking classes,” said Stelle. Having more shop space will also allow them to host more of their classes on-site rather than at professional shops all around town.

The current shop space will be expanded

In addition to the expanded workspace, Coyote Central is also creating garden space to not only beautify their campus, but also to grow food for use in some of their culinary classes. They also have plans to get chickens and to create a “serious composting setup,” on the property.

All Coyote Central programs are taught by working professionals. Tuition is priced on a sliding scale, and more than 40 percent of students have scholarships of some kind.

Winter classes are wrapping up later this month, and spring classes get underway in April. For more information or to register for the spring, check out the Coyote Central website.