There is a tan building on 14th and B streets that at first doesn’t stick out. A laundry mat and smokeshop occupy two of the spaces, but in the third is something unique: The Commons.
The Commons is described by their website as “An open community that grows through your participation; Access to tools, resources, and human energy; A safe and welcoming place where creativity and kindness are encouraged.”
The Commons serves as a place for community events, making each day a bit different. They serve as a venue for local music to a variety of group discussions and classes on yoga, dancing, food, meditation and printing.
A lot of the focus at the Commons is about creating safer communities and being a place for people to share ideas and discuss without fear of harassment.
An upcoming class on June 9 is titled Making Medicinal Tea, which is “An in-depth look at making water extractions with medicinal herbs. This isn’t your grocery store variety sleepy time tea. We will discuss and taste nourishing infusions and decoctions while focusing on some local summertime herbs that are likely growing right outside your door.”
The Commons started out after people involved at SP CE, a writer’s group here in Lincoln, decided they wanted to make events and access to art more publicly available.
So they found a storefront here at 14th and B streets and became SP CE Commons. With SP CE Commons becoming independent of SP CE, they’ve changed the name to The Commons.
The Commons is operated by volunteers, and the group’s website features a detailed calendar.
For those interested in participating, one Commons volunteer suggested, “There’s a link on our website to ‘participation station’- that’s a place on Facebook where people can go to post about events or see what’s of interest to people (though not everyone involved with the commons is on Facebook).”
“Another good way to get involved,” she added, “is to volunteer to staff shows, events or open hours.  You can volunteer to do that through the participation station or by emailing us.”