-By Kenneth Wampler

Alpha Workshops in not unlike other not-for-profit enterprises that merge creativity with commerce; the mantra "the relationship is everything" is an underlying principle. Our organization brings together two very disparate worlds—supportive employment and high-end interior design—under one roof to train and employ people living with HIV/AIDS for a career in decorative arts. It is also a wonderful resource for interior designers who need custom painting, gilding, and finishing, or a one-of-a-kind project

Our daily mission involves collaborating with many partners: Mornings we meet prospective trainees trying to rebuild their lives following a terrible diagnosis. Then, we might visit one of the showrooms that distributes our products, or meet with designers and their clients, who are eager to hire Alpha's studio artisans to work on a particular project. Afternoons could bring a representative from corporate America who has made working with Alpha part of their company's profile through philanthropy or product licensure. Social workers, who play an individual role in the safety net that catches New Yorkers in need, also come to Alpha. In short, collaboration plays a role in every facet of Alpha's work, products, and mission. It all begins and ends with people and the relationship between or among the diverse players, who are the foundation of our 14-year-old organization. Creative people living with HIV, public and private funders, the design community and their clients, and our staff and board of directors, all collaborate to bring Alpha Workshops forward to fulfill its mission—a mission that has four important components:

1) to draw on the powerful healing potential of useful work and creative self-expression;

2) to provide training and employment in a flexible, compassionate workplace where the special needs of its employees can be met;

3) to compete in the marketplace successfully at the highest level of craftsmanship and artistry;

4) to provide a new model of economic development for people living with HIV/AIDS or other disabilities.

Our relationship building with manufacturers is a two-way street. Both parties need to enjoy the partnership feeling they gain through the association. For example, New York-based fabric house POLLACK worked with Alpha on two licensed fabric collections. Mark Pollack and his staff selected and interpreted fresh designs created by our artisans. Alpha received not only increased income through royalties but also increased credibility and visibility within the industry. Through his collaboration with Koroseal, Pollack introduced us to that company, resulting in an Alpha Workshops collection, as well a grant from Koroseal's parent company, RJF International.

Alpha's partnerships with corporations such as Benjamin Moore and Lifetime Television require us to keep their corporate identities foremost in our minds. Our alliance with Benjamin Moore evolved from our use of its paints to produce our award-winning, hand-painted wallpapers. Following that, we were hired to do decorative painting and instruction in a Benjamin Moore DVD for contractors, to paint its new line of decorative finishes at its corporate headquarters, and to assist with promotional events. The challenge Lifetime faced with its new technical facility in Manhattan was to bring a sense of creativity, life, and nature to a technology-oriented space. Working in concert with Lifetime executives and architects, we conceived of three art projects. One involved carving and gilding three enormous leaves, each more than 8 ft. tall, that are "totems to life." That initial collaboration was successful, and we are now planning a second project with Lifetime and HOK.

Each time we work with an individual designer or design firm, we're collaborating with the joint aim to satisfy the end user. Our relationship with designer Jamie Drake, for example, enabled us to take part in the restoration of Gracie Mansion and the Prince George Hotel, and to work on over a dozen homes, including that of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and several Kips Bay showhouses. A chance encounter with David Mann/MR Architecture led us to a collaboration resulting in the creation of a fantastical 16-ft.-diameter tree root sculpture from the ceiling of the children's department at Takashimaya. Serendipity led designer Celerie Kemble to be inspired by that same sculpture and to work with Alpha on a sculptural installation for a residential lobby. All collaborations, all with talented designers, result in imaginative work and delighted clients.

The list of critical collaborations is manifold: our board of directors, VESID/NYS Department of Education, private funding partners, supportive housing providers. What they all have in common is a willingness to work together for a greater good—to help creative people who are living with HIV find the spirit that otherwise would lie dormant and to help it to wake up, stretch, and say, 'I'm ready to go; I'm ready to move my life forward.'

Kenneth Wampler founded The Alpha Workshops in 1995 and has since been the executive director.